Hockel says the decision to apply fungicide to corn is a win-win when it comes to feedout. While needs are different for every farmer, the win comes in both tons and quality, he notes.
A healthier corn plant not only is better able to fight off diseases like tar spot and produce more desirable yields but also delivers a more palatable crop at feedout.
“Higher quality is going to be seen in milk production for dairies or in rate of gain on the beef side,” he says.
Corn harvested too dry can lead to poor silage fermentation and lower feeding value of the silage, Whitlow explains.
“Poorly fermented silage is usually less palatable, less digestible,” he says. “Field observations by producers suggest that tar spot reduces the feeding value of silage.”
Growing quality silage is all about good management. For Chaffin, that starts by working with DEKALB brand.
Selecting the right traits helps him alleviate a lot of potential problems that other farmers might face.
“We can’t control Mother Nature, so we try to control the variables,” Chaffin says. “We do a good job on things we can control, like spray programs, soil testing, nutrients, planting the right hybrid and then harvesting at the right time. A lot of companies have corn. You’ve got to find the corn that works for you.”
