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Change In Conditions
Two weeks ago colleagues and I were doing drought meetings, our primary concern was nitrate concerns in silage, lack of forages and weather impact on corn and soybean yields. Now, colleagues have been offering crop storm damage meetings and silage and seed corn harvest has been complicated with muddy conditions. Pasture and hay are rebounding. Storms that came through Iowa the weekend of August 21, and additional storms last week left some places in Iowa with a lot of downed corn and some flooded fields leaving folks to worry if they can or should harvest some crop. Just to provide am example, from Jan 1, 2021 to August 25, 2021, Eldora, Iowa was -9.24 inches of precipitation for the year. When I look at precipitation reports from Jan 1, 2021 through September 5, 2021, a change in 11 days, Eldora is still 8.24 inches below normal precipitation, but Northwood has exceeded their normal annual precipitation by 2.43 inches.
Drought resources
Some areas remain dry and some may find this list of drought topics helpful.
Harvest preparations for downed corn
In many places throughout NC Iowa, there are fields of downed corn due to poor stalk integrity (drought caused) complicated by winds. Some have commented this is very similar in damage to the 2020 derecho, just a smaller area impacted. My observations indicate that in NC Iowa, the corn was pinched over below the ear, approximately 18-24 inches off the ground and was already dead. Most of the downed corn in NC Iowa was at R5.5 or greater, so more mature than the derecho downed corn of 2020. At R5.5, moisture is 40% and dry matter is near 90%. The following resources were developed in response to the 2020 derecho, but are still relevant today for downed corn. Continue to evaluate corn fields still standing as stalk quality deteriorates and prioritize fields for harvest based on stalk quality.
Combine Gathering Attachments for Lodged Corn
Tips for Harvesting Downed and Wind-Damaged Corn
VIDEO: Tips for Harvesting Downed Corn
Managing for volunteer corn starts with harvest this year. Take time to adjust combine settings to account lodged corn. Tips found in Combine Adjustments for Harvesting Lodged Corn.
Other things to consider this fall will be potential development of mycotoxins. This will be dependent on fall weather conditions. Here is a good reference on how to scout fields and what to look for related to ear rots.
Downed corn. Northern Wright County. Photo: August 26, 2021.
Corn Silage Harvest
Drought impacted corn has posed serveral challenges to harvesting corn for silage this year. Rapid dry down of the crop and concerns over nitrate toxicity are among the concerns. The following articles are good reference points for corn silage harvest.
Corn Silage Harvest and Storage Tips
Amid Drought Rules for Good Corn Silage Still Apply
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Events
September 8. The Iowa Learning Farms, Iowa Nutrient Reduction Center and Iowa Corn will host a nutrient management, cover crop and wetland field day at the Gilmore City Drainage Research and Demonstration farm. The event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additional details.
September 8. The Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Research Farm will host a strip-till field day from 9 a.m. through noon. Additional details.
Corn emerging in a strip-tilled field.
September 9. Please join us for the Northern Research Farm Field Day at the "south" farm.
Topics include weather impacts on crop yields with Dr. Mark Licht, soil sampling results, cornstalk nitrate test results and residual N from a drought year with Dr. Antonio Mallarino, field agronomists, Gentry Sorenson and Angie Rieck-Hinz will review 2021 herbicide efficacy, and Dr. Chad Hart will join us for lunch to discuss carbon markets. 2.5 CCA credits are available. This field day is free to attend and open to all, but please register for lunch by calling the Wright County Extension Office at 515-532-3453. Additional details.
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