2009
2009 Weather Update for Arlington and Marshfield
(updated October 31, 2009)
2009 Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials
- Grain and Silage
UWEX Bulletin A3653 December 2009
A one bushel increase by Wisconsin corn farmers increases farm income $8 to
$16 million dollars. The purpose of this report is to provide unbiased performance
comparisons of hybrid seed corn available in Wisconsin. Results are a "Consumer
Report" for commercial corn hybrids.
Weigh Risk of Leaving Corn Stand Through Winter
October 2009 Field Loss Calculator
Excel 2007 |
Excel 2003
Team Grains article with Nick Schneider, Winnebago County Agriculture agent
The October 26, 2009 Wisconsin Crop Progress Report from the Wisconsin Field Office
of the National Agriculture Statistics Service stated only 9% of the Wisconsin corn
crop has been harvested, far less than the 5-year average of 37%. Moisture spot
checks are indicating very wet grain with unfavorable drying weather in the near-term
forecast. Even if grain moisture was dry enough for harvest, saturated soils will
likely cause further delays. This situation has caused some corn growers to consider
leaving corn stand in the field until spring ...
Maximizing corn yield potential in Wisconsin
August 2009 Field Crops 28.4 - 75
Field Day Presentation - JAM Corn Growers Association
Corn growers need to set a realistic corn yield goal in order to make sound decisions
on hybrid, seeding rate, fertilizer application, and irrigation. The goal should
be the most profitable yield that can be expected for a particular set of
soil, climate, and management practices. The yield potential is the maximum
production of a crop cultivar that can be achieved in a given environment...
Managing Corn to Maximize Ethanol/Biofuel Potential
August 27, 2009 Field Crops 28.4 - 74
Field Day Presentation - Arlington ARS
Getting a Handle on Corn Seed Costs
August 25, 2009 Field Crops 28.424 - 73
Field Day Presentation - Fond du Lac County and Chippewa County
Sampling Corn Silage Fields to Accurately Determine Moisture
August 2009 Field Crops 28.47 - 72
Corn must be ensiled at the proper moisture to get fermentation for preservation.
But, determining when to harvest corn at the right whole plant moisture is difficult.
Each storage structure properly ensiles at slightly different moisture optimums.
Harvesting corn too wet for the storage structure will result in reduced yield,
souring and seepage of the ensilage, and low intake by dairy cows. Harvesting too
dry reduces yield, can cause mold to develop, and lowers digestibility, protein
and vitamins A and E. The objective of this paper is to review field sampling procedures
for accurately timing corn silage harvest...
Finishing Strong in 2009: What decisions do we have to
make yet for this year's crop?
August 17, 2009 Field Crops 28.0-71
Field Day Presentation - Pierce and St. Croix Counties
Will Corn Mature in 2009?
August 6, 2009 Field Crops 28.491-70
Record cool temperatures have occurred this July and farmers are getting concerned
about whether the corn crop will mature. Figure 1 shows the typical relative maturity
zones for full-season corn grown in Wisconsin when planted prior to May 15. Growing
degree unit accumulation ranges from 2900 GDUs in the south to 1700 GDUs in the
north with relative maturities ranging from 115 to < 80 days RM...
Late-Season Hail Effects on Corn
July 2009 Field Crops 28.492-69
The hailstorm of July 24, 2009 in southwest Wisconsin happened at one of the worst
times possible during the corn life cycle. Most of the crop in the affected area
was in the middle of tasseling and sillking. The crop had great yield potential
and was looking promising until the storm hit. The most important thing to remember
after a hail storm is to wait. Go ahead and view the damage, but do not make any
assessments until 7-10 days have passed. It will take that long for the corn plant
to begin growing again if it can...
Managing Corn to Maximize Ethanol/Biofuel Potential
June 30, 2009 Field Crops 28.4 - 68
Field Day Presentation - Marshfield ARS
Considering Foliar Fungicides for Corn in 2009? A Look at the Results of University
Trials in Wisconsin and the North Central Region
Paul Esker and Joe Lauer, Wisconsin Crop Manager 16:69-72, June 25, 2009
We continue to receive questions regarding the cost-effective use of foliar fungicides
in corn. Continuing with the previous two articles in the Wisconsin Crop Manager
that focused on results from on-farm foliar fungicide trials for corn grain and
corn silage, in this article, we would like to address some of the questions that
have been raised over the past winter meeting season regarding the use of foliar
fungicides for corn. These questions have been about the perceived need for foliar
fungicides, field plot layout and design, the number of observations (i.e., sample
size), the question of an increase in yield in the absence of disease (i.e., plant
health), and the role of IPM for corn disease management. All of these questions
have relevance and need to be addressed, as well as misconceptions regarding the
data coming from our small plot trials, in particular...
What is Happening in the Corn Crop Canopy?
June 20, 2009 Field Crops 28.1 - 67
This year has been cooler than normal. In fact it is the fourth coolest year in
the last 30 years so far. But things can change rapidly and the corn crop seems
to keep on developing, although this year it seems like plants are taking longer
than usual to develop. At this date most fields are between V5 and V7 and poised
to begin a period of rapid stem elongation and canopy development. Once the plant
has achieved the V5-V6 stage of development, all of the plant parts that will eventually
appear have been expressed on the growing point. It is just a matter of time until
we see them...
Corn Response to Hail Damage and Short-term Flooding
June 19, 2009 Field Crops 28.492 - 66
Yesterday and over the previous week, storms caused scattered hail damage in central
Wisconsin and short-term flooding in south eastern Wisconsin. Most of the crop was
at V7 or less when these storms moved through Wisconsin. We are at the point where
there are few planting/replanting options available for corn. We might still be
able to plant other crops, but there are few viable good alternatives. The keys
to storm related damage of crop fields are to: 1) be patient, 2) determine the crop
growth stage, and 3) assess plant health accurately. ..
Cool Weather and Purple Corn
June 10, 2009 Field Crops 28.42 - 65
Many growers have been reporting purple corn plants in their fields this year. The
last 20 days have been cool and Growing Degree Units have started to lag behind
normal (Figure 1). In a planting date study located at Arlington, Pioneer 35F40
have been turning purple shortly after emergence for planting date of April 10,
May 4, and May15 (Figure 2). Plants develop normally but remain purple for about
10-14 days, and then turn green around V4. Digging up some plants, I found 3 to
5 healthy nodal roots and vigorous root growth. Purpling and other nutrient deficiency
symptoms are often seen around V3-4 as the seminal and radical root systems give
way to the nodal roots, which eventually become the dominant root system for corn...
Corn Unfurling Underground: An observation involving low temperatures
June 1, 2009 Field Crops 28.42 - 64
It has been relatively quiet for corn problems in Wisconsin so far. Farmers are
struggling with some late-planting in IL, IN, MI, and OH. Also, eastern WI was somewhat
late with planting, but the last couple of weeks have seen nearly the entire state
complete planting. Emergence has been good. Jerry Clark (Agent in Chippewa County
of NC WI) has reported a case where only Apron was used and a general seed fungicide
(Maxim or Captan) was not used with the result being a poor stand. I observed in
my travels to northwestern Wisconsin that corn growth and development was similar
to southern Wisconsin. Northwestern WI was somewhat dry the week of May 31...
Early Corn Planting Dates
April 23, 2009 Field Crops 28.421-63
Our first corn planting date this year was April 10. It was the earliest we
have ever planted corn at Arlington. We might have been able to plant a couple of
days earlier, but there was still frost under the corn residue piles when we started
working the field, so we decided to let the soil warm up a little. The previous
early planting date was April 13 in 2004, April 14 in 2006 and April 15 in 2002,
2003, and 2005. We have planted corn when there was still snow in the fence lines
(2007) and when up to 4 inches of snow fell on the plots after planting and prior
to emergence (multiple years)...
Corn plant density for maximum grain and silage production
April 9, 2009 Field Crops 28.424-62
The plant density that maximizes corn grain and silage yield has been increasing
through time. The optimum plant density is a function of corn yield and quality
responses, seed cost, and grain or silage price...
Extension web page
March, 2009
Research web page
March, 2009
2008 Profits through Efficient Production Systems (PEPS)
January, 2009
2009 Corn Conferences
January, 2009
2009 Agronomy Update meetings
January, 2009