Released September 1, 2010
FARGO, N.D. -- The time to make corn silage is approaching quickly.
Late-season crops remain ahead of or near the average for maturity, with some corn chopping already under way, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service’s recent North Dakota Crop, Livestock and Weather Report.
North Dakota State University agronomists say the average corn field in eastern North Dakota is within three weeks of the one-half milk line. However, the weather in western North Dakota has been cooler, and corn growth appears to be 10 days behind the eastern portion of the state.
“So depending where you are, and if you are ensiling corn, get ready,” says J.W. Schroeder, NDSU Extension Service dairy specialist. “The harvest and storage management decisions you make now are critical to producing the best quality corn silage possible.”
He cautions that maturity at harvest may affect corn silage quality because maturity influences grain and moisture content as well as stover digestibility.
The best way to determine the maturity of corn silage is the location of the milk line. The milk line is where the liquid and solid portions of the kernel meet. The milk line will not appear until the corn is at the dent stage of maturity.
--continued on North Dakota State University Extension news
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