August 22, 2003

 

Drought-Stressed Corn Can Make Good Hay or Silage, NDSU Specialist Says

With heat and lack of rain baking pastures and corn fields across the area, producers may be faced with the necessity of harvesting their corn crops early to supplement poor grazing.

"One of the major concerns with corn hay is the level of nitrates," says Greg Lardy, a North Dakota State University beef specialist. "Whether haying or ensiling corn, the producer needs to cut the stalks higher off the ground. Nitrates accumulate in the lower portion of the corn stalk. Ideally, wrapping or bagging the bales to produce bale silage will help the process of fermentation start and lower the concentration of nitrates in the hay. Nitrate levels will not decrease in corn hay as they will in silage. Whether or not you put up drought-stressed corn as hay or silage, it’s a good policy to have nitrate levels tested."

"Check the labels of any herbicide you have been using, and make sure that it is labeled for haying," Lardy says. "To store the corn as hay, you want to look for a moisture level of about 15 to 18 percent or less."

If the drought-stressed crop is going to be hayed, the sooner the producer harvests it, the better, according to Lardy. "We are talking about what is basically a coarse grass," Lardy says. "The hay must be mechanically processed or crimped to help facilitate field curing, and should be cured about seven to 10 days to cure effectively."

"The level of nutrients in the hay will decrease with maturation," Lardy says. "Along with nitrate levels, it would be a good idea to test for nutrient composition as well. Corn hay will provide nutrient quality comparable to a medium to poor quality forage."

Nitrate-containing feeds should be introduced slowly into rations, according to Lardy. Nitrate poisoning symptoms include increased pulse rate, heavy, quickened breathing, muscle tremors, weakness, staggered gait, blue mucous membranes and blindness. Should any of these symptoms occur, remove the animals from the feed and contact your veterinarian.

For more information, go to http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/articles/ExEx4017.pdf.

Source: Greg Lardy, (701)231-7660, gregory.lardy@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701)231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu
Writer: Scott Lowell, (701)231-7882, slowell@ndsuext.nodak.edu