Wet weather is slowing corn harvest across much of the Corn Belt, creating challenges for growers while also giving Wyffels Hybrids’ agronomy and breeding teams an opportunity to evaluate corn performance under a wide range of conditions.
That’s according to Robby Meeker, an Area Agronomy Manager for Wyffels. Meeker said persistent cloudy, misty and rainy weather has made for a slow start to October harvest.
“It’s been a slow go no matter where growers are located,” Meeker said.
With harvest progressing slowly, Meeker encouraged growers to continue scouting fields for stalk and ear quality issues, particularly as damp conditions persist. “Continue to scout and prioritize fields that need to come out,” he said.
Growers also should consider the economics of getting corn out of the field if stalk quality begins to deteriorate. Meeker recommended evaluating the return on investment of harvesting and drying corn rather than allowing compromised stalks to increase field losses.
He said growers should not be afraid to harvest corn at 18% to 22% moisture when field conditions warrant it.
Continued wet weather and downturned corn prices are just a few variables that factor into harvest timing decisions. The Wyffels Grain Drying Calculator at Wyffels.com comes in handy for those weighing the economic choice of harvesting slightly wetter corn. Simply enter early-harvest moisture and expected yield, along with later-harvest moisture, and the calculator estimates late-harvest yield using findings from Wyffels Agronomy Trials.
While harvest is creating challenges, it also is giving Wyffels’ agronomy and breeding teams an opportunity to evaluate new genetics under a wide range of growing conditions. This year, Wyffels is testing 16 new products against its current lineup across numerous soil environments and geographies. Meeker said several products are standing out in the trials, including W7229 and W7544.
When it comes to a winning plot, consistency is key, and Wyffels’ new products have been performing even better than expected, Meeker said. “If a product can consistently find themselves in the top third of plots, that shows their resiliency to handle different growing environments, different geographies, different soil types, and perform consistently,” Meeker said. That consistency could make products such as W7229 and W7544 dependable choices for growers across a broad portion of the Corn Belt.
For growers looking for a broader view of how harvest is progressing across the Corn Belt, Wyffels also offers an online Harvest Progress Report at Wyffels.com under the agronomy tab. The tool shows harvest progress geographically and includes weekly observations from Wyffels agronomy managers working in different areas of the Corn Belt. Regional insights are one of the tool’s biggest benefits because it gives growers an ongoing and timely look at what Wyffels agronomists are seeing across the region, Meeker said. The agronomy tab on Wyffels.com is your one-stop-shop for corn harvest this year.
Meeker encouraged growers to follow Wyffels’ social media channels and podcast, Keeping it Independent, for ongoing harvest observations and updates on trial results.
Along with these digital tools, having a face-to-face conversation or phone call with a Wyffels representative is the best way to talk through critical harvest time decisions. Have questions? Chat with your rep today.
