Corn crop has people on edge

There was corn being chopped for silage over the Labor Day weekend in southeastern Wisconsin. But chopping still is a ways off for the 191 acres of corn at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm and for a good many others across the northern tier of states.

Late planting and a record cool summer in many parts of the country have put the corn crop well behind schedule. The last USDA crop progress report put corn at 50 percent dented, compared to a 75 percent average the previous five years.

Still, “don’t jump the gun" after the first frosty night is the warning from Ev Thomas, the (semi-) retired “crops dude” at the Miner Institute in northern New York. Immature corn still has quite a bit of sugar which acts sort of like antifreeze for the plant. Even if leaves get singed by frost (they’re only 10 percent of the dry matter), as long as the stalk is green, the plant continues to mature, says Thomas.

The only way to know for sure if corn is ready for chopping is to chop some and do a moisture test. Chopping at 32 to 35 percent dry matter (34 is ideal) is the goal for bunkers and bags, says Jim Barmore of Five-Star Consulting in Wisconsin. He recommends 5/8- to 3/4-inch TLC (theoretical length of cut) for processed (non-BMR) varieties. His guide: All kernels should be either smashed, rolled, or cracked with no cob pieces larger than a thumbnail after processing. Make sure at least 98 percent of kernels are processed.

Less mature corn silage may be higher in protein but always is lower in starch and energy, says Thomas. Again, a forage analysis is a must.