Corn Harvest Is Winding Down
By Ed Farris on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 |
Area farmers are winding down their harvest. A typical comment heard is that they wanted to be done by the Thanksgiving holiday. Many growers finished harvest by this date. Others still have corn standing mostly due to late planting and/or soggy conditions in fields.
Yields on corn acres are being reported in a wide range from 60 bushels per acre to 180 bushels per acre. The extremely hot and dry conditions this summer caused pollination problems. Some corn planted in June produced more bushels per acre as compared to corn planted in May. The combination of drought stress and heat stress during July really impacted a portion of the May-planted corn acres. There were some fields that hardly saw a drop of rain for weeks at a time.
Corn planted later than normal is being harvested at higher moistures. According to a Purdue Extension grain storage and drying specialist, that means growers need to pay extra attention to harvest methods, drying and grain storage.
In some portions of the state, corn is more susceptible to lodging than usual, and there have been a few reports of poor kernel fill and small kernels, said Matt Roberts of the Purdue Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. Other producers report more cobs and stalk pieces or more fine material in their harvested corn.
"Low test weight corn can be more susceptible to kernel breakage during harvesting and handling than high test weight corn, and quite often more fine material is produced when corn is harvested at higher moistures," Roberts said. "The presence of broken kernels, stalks and cobs in a grain bin can restrict airflow. Even with state-of-the-art grain spreaders, broken kernels and foreign material tend to accumulate in the center of bins."
He said that ideally, grain should be cooled to 50 degrees or cooler to control insects and mold growth. If grain in the center of the bin isn't cooled thoroughly, mold and insects can grow there and eventually spread to other parts of the bin. Bins need to be cored after they are filled to remove the accumulation of broken kernels and foreign material.
"Coring can be accomplished by removing several loads of grain from the bin," Roberts said. "It also will help to level the top of the grain mass. Air finds the path of least resistance, and the coring and leveling should eliminate or reduce the higher airflow resistance in the center of the bin. Therefore, the bin will be aerated more evenly."
More information about proper harvest, drying and storage techniques can be found on Purdue Extension's Post Harvest Grain Quality website at http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/grainlab/
If you have questions, contact Ed Farris, Agriculture and Natural Resource Educator, Purdue Extension – Huntington County Office, 354 N Jefferson – Suite 202, Huntington by calling 260-358-4826.
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