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October 7, 2004 Is Harvesting Wet Corn in the Spring an Option? Corn development is two to three weeks behind normal in North Dakota this year due to unusually cool summer temperatures, so most corn did not reach full maturity before the first killing frost. “Though some loss in yield is inevitable, a more important consideration for farmers with immature corn is how to handle the wet grain,” says Joel Ransom, North Dakota State University Extension agronomist. “Given the current stage of crop development, it seems likely that much of the corn will be in the 35 percent to 50 percent moisture range after this week’s killing frost. We can expect some field drying of grain in October, perhaps 10 percent to 15 percent if temperatures are favorable, but only minimal amounts in November as air temperatures drop.” Corn with more than 25 percent moisture is difficult to combine and high moisture grain should be dried or cooled to a safe storage temperature as soon as possible after harvest in order to avoid storage losses. Given the high moisture levels and high cost of drying grain this fall, many farmers are wondering if it might be more economical to leave the corn crop through the winter and harvest it in the spring. “We have very little data from North Dakota on how much field loss is likely to occur if corn is left through the winter,” Ransom says. “Factors such as ear drop, lodging and wildlife damage are difficult to predict and can have a major impact on losses.” Recent data from Wisconsin reported field losses during the winter months between 18 percent and 65 percent in a two year study, which was recently published and is available at http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/WCM/2004/W160.htm. These data demonstrate the risk associated with leaving corn over the winter. “Harvesting corn in the spring should only be considered if it is determined that it will be uneconomical or impractical to harvest and dry the grain in the fall,” Ransom says. “On a positive note, the stalk quality of most of the corn crop this fall is excellent, which may help reduce lodging related losses in fields that are left over the winter.” When making a decision on whether or not to leave a corn crop over the winter, farmers should also consider how harvesting corn will impact other management practices in the spring. ### Source:
Joel Ransom, (701) 231-7405, joel.ransom@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
