Reports of hail have come in from various areas of the state, worse in some areas than others. If hail was significant in your area it will be important to get out and look at fields to assess damage. Corn is quite tolerant of defoliation at the growth stages being reported around the state, as long as the growing point was not injured. See attached tables with estimated yield reductions based on percent defoliation and stage of growth.
Additionally, find some pictures and field information from a past hail event at around the same point in the year (June 30, 2006) with corresponding yields of the damaged field.
In the event that the field does need to be replanted there are still some options. A recent newsletter from Tom Kilcer at Advanced Ag Systems provides timely information on remaining options for forage needs.
With any emergency forage the first questions are when can we get it in the ground and what will it yield; however, it is very important to think ahead on how this extra forage will fit into your system.
· Who will you feed it to?
· How will you store it so it is accessible for feeding the to the intended group of animals?
· How much of it will you have, will there be enough tons (acres planted x yield) to incorporate into your feeding programs without drastic disruptions in the animals diet that could lead to other issues?
It is good to involve your nutritionist in conversations about what crop options exist and how they could best be utilized.
Please contact us or your local CCE specialist with any additional questions.
Joe Lawrence, Karl Czymmek, Quirine Ketterings
