Quality corn silage begins with fertile soil as its foundation. Monitoring nutrients by completing soil tests and following up with nitrogen application when needed helps Chaffin establish a baseline for planting.
Then, it’s all about product selection.
Matching corn hybrid to soil type is key to growing a quality crop, Chaffin says.
Hybrid selection can also help farmers put their best foot forward when it comes to managing diseases like tar spot, which is becoming more common throughout the Midwest and eastern United States.
According to Dr. Lon Whitlow, North Carolina State University professor emeritus, tar spot is a fungus that results in rapid senescence, or the maturing and drying process of the plant. He says infection levels can reach as high as 50% severity in just a few weeks after the initial infection. Plants start to dry when the infection reaches 30% infection.
While the fungus that causes tar spot is not known to produce mycotoxins, Whitlow says crops stressed by water loss or disease are more susceptible to fungal infections. Fungi like fusarium can produce mycotoxins, which are known to negatively affect dairy cattle, he adds.
Hybrid selection is the first step growers can take to help head off potential disease issues like tar spot, Whitlow notes.
“There are some hybrids or products that show better tolerance,” Whitlow explains. “No hybrid is currently immune to the disease, but you can select hybrids that have better tolerance than others.”
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