Crop Maturity, Disease & Harvest Issues

The impetus for this collection of articles came from the challenging 2009 harvest season in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. Delayed planting of crops, slow crop development due to cool summer temperatures, significant incidence of late season foliar diseases and ear rots in corn, slow grain dry down due to cool fall temperatures, and frequent periods of rain resulted in a frustrating end to the growing season.

A summary of harvest, drying, storage, and end-use issues relevant to the challenging 2009 harvest season in Indiana has been prepared by Purdue Extension specialists and can be found at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.09/HarvestConcerns2009.pdf. An additional summary of issues related to moldy corn can be found at http://www.purdue.edu/cornmold.

The articles linked below represent a collection of information about various aspects of managing the harvest and handling of a late crop that is further impacted by disease, high moisture grain, and freeze damage to immature grain. More articles and publications will be added as they come to my attention.

When in doubt about the applicability of the information to your geographic area of the country, please contact the author(s) of the articles or consult with your own university Extension specialists. The primary field crop Extension specialists at Purdue University are listed at http://www.kingcorn.org/cafe/experts.html.

Please send comments or dead link alerts to R.L. (Bob) Nielsen (rnielsen at purdue.edu).

Wet Weather Can Cause Seeds to Sprout before Harvest (2009): Univ. of Missouri
How Will Delaying Corn Harvest Affect Yield, Grain Quality and Moisture? (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Late Harvest Issues (2009): Univ of Illinois
Corn Crop Continues Snail's Pace of Grain Drying & Harvest (2009): Purdue Univ.
Field Drying and Scheduling Corn Harvest (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Test Weight Issues in Corn (2009): Purdue Univ.
Field Drydown of Mature Corn Grain (2009): Purdue Univ.
Grain Fill Stages in Corn (2009): Purdue Univ.
Stress During Grain Fill: A Harbinger of Stalk Health Problems (2009): Purdue Univ.
Effects of Stress During Grain Filling in Corn (2009): Purdue Univ.
Soybean Quality Issues (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Corn Kernels Sprouting on the Ear (2009): Univ. of Kentucky
Weigh Risk of Leaving Corn Stand Through Winter (2009): Univ of Wisconsin
Some Pros and Cons of Letting Corn Stand in the Field Through Winter (2004): Univ. of Wisconsin
Calculating Grain Weight Shrinkage in Corn Due to Mechanical Drying (1991): Univ of Minnesota

Soybean Plants Killed before Maturity Possess Grain that Remains Green (2009): Univ. of Missouri
Handling Frost Damaged Corn (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Feeding Frosted Forages (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Frost Damage and Corn Silage Options (2009): Univ. of Kentucky
Managing Immature and Frosted Corn Silage (2006): Univ. of Vermont
Frost Damaged or Immature Corn: Forage Options (2004): South Dakota State Univ.
Harvesting Immature Corn and Soybeans for Forage After a Killing Frost (2004): Univ. of Minnesota
Harvesting and Handling High Moisture, Frost Damaged Grain (2000): Michigan State Univ.

Mycotoxins: Iowa State Univ. College of Vet. Med.
Vomitoxin on the minds of growers during corn hybrid selection (2010): Ohio State Univ.
Choose Wisely……Avoid unprofitable strategies to manage moldy grain (2010): Purdue Univ.
Don't rely on chemicals to reduce vomitoxin contamination of corn (2010): Ohio State Univ.
Q & A on Moldy Grain and Mycotoxins, Part 1: 2009 Crop (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Q & A on Moldy Grain and Mycotoxins, Part 2: Handling Corn in Storage (2010): Ohio State Univ.
Q & A on Moldy Grain and Mycotoxins, Part 3: 2010 Hybrid Selection and Management (2010): Ohio State Univ.
Moldy Grains, Mycotoxins and Feeding Problems (2009): Penn State Univ, Ohio State Univ, Iowa State Univ, Univ of Kentucky, and Purdue Univ.
Dealing with Moldy Corn and Mycotoxin Risks (2009): Univ of Illinois
Concerns about Mycotoxins in the 2009 Corn Crop (2009): Univ. of Nebraska
Moldy Corn and Soybeans (2009): Univ. of Missouri
How Delayed Harvest Might Affect Ear Rots and Mycotoxin Contamination (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Fungal Growth on Corn ("Moldy Corn") in Minnesota in Fall 2009: Univ. of Minnesota
Get Grain Tested for Mycotoxin before Making a Decision (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Corn Ear Rot: Which One is It? (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Corn Ear Rot and Potential Mycotoxin (2009): Ohio State Univ.
Watch for Gibberella Ear Rot in Corn (2009): Univ. of Kentucky
Corn Quality Issues – Field Molds (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Dealing with Diplodia Ear Rot (2009): Purdue Univ.
Diplodia Ear Rot (2009): Purdue Univ.
Gibberella Ear Rot of Corn (2009): Purdue Univ.
Ear Rots and Grain Molds Are Common This Year (2009): Univ. of Nebraska
Corn Ear Molds and Stalk Rots (2009): Pennsylvania State Univ.
Discolored Soybean Seed (2009): Univ. of Missouri
Diplodia Ear Rot of Corn (2001): Ohio State Univ.
Ear Rot of Corn Caused by Stenocarpella maydis (=Diplodia maydis) (1997): Univ. of Kentucky

Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Toxicology Services (2009): Purdue Univ.
Certified Mycotoxin Testing Facilities (2009): USDA Risk Management Agency
Laboratories for Mycotoxin Analyses (2009): Univ. of Kentucky

Diplodia Damaged Corn Grain: Assessing Feed Value (2004): Ohio State Univ
High Moisture Corn, Aerobic Stability, Feed Additives and Mycotoxins (2009): Univ. of Wisconsin
Guidelines for Feeding Moldy Corn (2009): Univ. of Missouri
Moldy Grains, Mycotoxins and Feeding Problems (2009): Penn State Univ, Ohio State Univ, Iowa State Univ, Univ of Kentucky, and Purdue Univ.
Sampling and Analyzing Feed Fungal (Mold) Toxins (Mycotoxins) (2003): Univ. of Nebraska
Understanding Fungal (Mold) Toxins (Mycotoxins) (2003): Univ. of Nebraska
Use of Feed Contaminated with Fungal (Mold) Toxins (Mycotoxins) (2003): Univ. of Nebraska

Standing Corn Still in the Field? Try Grazing to Capture Its Value (2010): Univ of Nebraska
Harvesting Corn after Rain, Snow and Wind (2010): Univ of Nebraska
Tips for Harvesting Corn in the Snow (2010): Univ of Nebraska
Combine Considerations for a Wet Corn Harvest (2009): Univ of Wisconsin
Minimizing Foreign Material in the Combine’s Grain Tank (2009): Univ. of Wisconsin
Corn Harvesting Equipment for Wind Damaged Corn (2009): Pennsylvania State Univ.
Yield Losses and Harvesting Challenges for Severely Lodged Corn (2008): Purdue Univ.
Harvesting Lodged Corn (2006): Iowa State Univ.

Monitor Stored (and Standing) Corn for Grain Mold Diseases (2010): Univ of Nebraska
March Grain Storage: Since You Can't Keep it Cold, Get it Dry (2010): Univ of Nebraska
A Tough Harvest - Frequently Asked Questions (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Post-Harvest Tips for Later Maturing Corn (2009): North Dakota State Univ.
Hazards of Fines and Dust in Grain Bins (2009): Ontario Ministry of Ag.
Managing Stored Grain This Winter (2009): Univ. of Nebraska
High Moisture Corn Harvest and Storage Considerations (2009): Univ of Wisconsin
Adding Organic Acids to High Moisture Corn (2009): Univ of Wisconsin
Estimating Drying Times with Heated Air for Binned Corn (2009): Univ of Nebraska
Estimating Drying Times for Binned Corn and Natural Air (2009): Univ of Nebraska
Drying Soybeans In A Grain Bin ? How Long Will It Take? (2009): Univ of Nebraska
Considerations for Artificial Drying of Soybeans (2009): Univ of Wisconsin
Soybean Drying, Handling, and Storage (2009): Univ of Minnesota and North Dakota State Univ.
Drying Soybeans (2009): Purdue Univ.
Natural-Air Corn Drying in the Upper Midwest (2009): Univ of Minnesota
Harvesting, Handling, and Drying Corn with Ear Rots (2009): Purdue Univ.
In-Bin Drying of Corn (2009): Purdue Univ.
Corn Quality Issues – Storage Management (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Answers to Your Grain Drying Questions (2009): Univ. of Nebraska
Drying, Handling, & Storing Wet, Immature, & Frost-Damaged Corn (2004): Univ of Minnesota
Guidelines on Buying High Moisture Shelled Corn (2000): Michigan State Univ.
Low-Temperature Drying of Corn (1992): Purdue Univ.
Optimizing Grain Dryer Operations (1992): Purdue Univ.

Crop Insurance in a Wet Fall (2009): Univ. of Missouri
Late Harvest and Crop Insurance Coverage (2009): Iowa State Univ.

Soil Management of Harvest Ruts (2009): Iowa State Univ.
Fall tillage management in wet soil conditions (2009): Univ of Minnesota
Soil Compaction Management at Harvest (2007): Univ. of Minnesota
Removing Ruts from Fields (2007): Univ. of Kentucky

Grain Production & Management: Univ. of Wisconsin
Grain Storage - Calculators & Tools: Univ of Kentucky
Iowa Grain Quality Initiative: Iowa State Univ.
Late Harvest Resources: Univ of Minnesota
Post Harvest Grain Quality & Stored Product Protection Program: Purdue Univ.