Better Farming - October 2016

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Better Farming October 2016 Farm News First > 41
CROPS: YIELDMATTER$
future years. However, there is one
part of the seed guide from most seed
corn companies that often gets
overlooked. We may concentrate on
days to maturity and miss the
number of days to flowering. Agrono-
mists always recommend planting at
least four to five different hybrids of
varying maturities to spread the risk
of yield disappointment. Moving
planting dates based on maturity may
inadvertently result in all the hybrids
flowering in the same one- to two-
day window increasing risk of
incomplete fertilization – especially
this year.
Western Bean Cutworm activity
and the development of ear rots are
also worth observing. In particular, a
pink mold developing at the tip of the
cob is most likely the one to produce
vomitoxin, which may limit grain
quality and market access. The longer
the corn is in the field, the higher the
risk that the vomitoxin level may
increase. A faster harvest and drying
schedule may be required to maintain
a saleable crop.
Checking on stalk integrity with a
push or pinch test is another pre-har-
vest tip. Stand in the row and push
across the row to see if stalks break.
Or, pinch the bottom of the stock by
the node above the ground to
potentially reveal weakened, easily
crushed stalks. You can use this
information to determine which
fields to harvest first to avoid unac-
ceptable losses from lodged corn.
A pre-harvest checkup is well worth
the effort and will provide the insight
to help validate final yields and
facilitate planning for next year. BF
Dale Cowan is a senior agronomist with
AGRIS Co-operative Ltd. and Wanstead
Farmers Co-operative Ltd. and the AgGrower
Dashboard program.
This cob shows the effects of Western Bean Cutworm activity.