It’s hard to believe another growing season has come and is almost gone. 2022 has had its share of challenges: a wet start, drought, corn root worm, soybean gall midge, pigweed, and (my favorite) tar spot. And now, as we approach harvest, we face final challenges like ear and crown rot.
Ear rots
Unusually warm weather in Iowa the second week of October led to rapid in-field drying of crops. Many farmers now find corn at 11 to 14 percent moisture content in the field. Excessively dry corn is more brittle and susceptible to mechanical damage during harvest. Dr. Charles Hurburgh notes that corn breakage potential increases by a factor of 2 for every 2 points of moisture below 16%.
Harvest is underway and a few issues stemming from the unusual weather patterns last summer are coming up. On September 30 the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship issued a statement saying that grain submerged (over the grain) in flood waters was to be considered contaminated and therefore not eligible for entry into food-feed markets.
