Corn and Soybean Update
Planting continues to be a struggle. The past few days have been rain-free, but the temperatures feel like mid-April instead of May. Hoping the weather folks are wrong about the amount of rain over the next four days.
I have had reports and seen plenty of seedcorn maggot feeding and stand loss on the April planted soybeans. There are some fields that have been replanted. Experience has shown me to leave the field if the population is at least 80 thousand plants/acre and damage is consistent across the field. It makes sense to replant or thicken up severely damaged areas. Soybean acres have taken a back seat this week as the focus has been on first cut haylage and corn planting.
The limited corn that I have seen out of the ground looked good. We are still way behind. The USDA NASS NY weekly report from May 18 had 13% of the corn planted and 5% emerged. This is behind the five-year average of 31% planted. I did see a bunch more corn acres go in the ground the last two days.
Winter Wheat Update
I looked at a lot of wheat acres between Wayne and Orleans County this week. There is quite a range in maturity from flag leaves fully emerged (FS 9) to awns peaking out of the boot (FS 10.1). Overall, fields looked good to me but are variable across the region. The USDA NASS NY report this week disagrees and has lowered their wheat ratings to 2% poor, 71% fair, 20% good and 7% excellent. We were 61% good to excellent last week.
Wheat was beginning to flower on this date last year but remember we were a good 10 to 14 days ahead of normal. Some of the earliest planted fields are probably 7 days from starting to flower yet. It is still a good idea to start thinking about fungicide applications for Fusarium head scab.
I’m still seeing powdery mildew creeping about halfway up the plant. Cereal leaf beetle adults are easy to find. Most are still by themselves, but I did see a few that were paired up and mating. I have not seen any eggs yet. Once the weather starts to warm up, I think we will get a better idea of current populations and start to monitor egg numbers.
Black Cutworm and Armyworm Update
This has been our heaviest week for Black Cutworm (BCW) flights. The Ontario County site continues to catch the highest number at 87 this past week followed by 55 in Genesee County. Seneca and Livingston also had their largest flights of the spring. All of our region is over the 90-degree day accumulation which means the first wave of BCW eggs have hatched. We are halfway to 300-degree day point across the NWNY region. This is when BCW larvae will be big enough to cut corn plants. Eggs will continue to hatch and larvae will feed on corn leaves until that time. Look for holes in the leaves and cut leaves on the ground.
Common armyworms (CAW) continue to be active, but the only significant flight was in Yates County. Winter grain and grass fields will be the places we will need to watch. Larvae are small and will be feeding down at the base of plants on the lower leaves. A sweep net is a great tool to use on grass hay fields to detect their presence.
Summary of Alfalfa Height and Prediction of % NDF- May 21, 2025
I know we are all thinking “what window” with the rain forecast.
These recommendations follow PRO-DAIRY article referenced below:
Lawrence, J. (2011). Resources for dealing with spring weather delays. Cornell University. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/items/07fa3cff-854e-4a2b-a465-4735c624084c
First cut alfalfa contributes up to 40% of total yield in a typical three-cut system. Delaying harvest beyond the optimal timing has significant consequences: forage quality declines rapidly, subsequent cuttings are pushed later, and timely fall harvest becomes more difficult. Getting that first cut off—somehow—is essential. Based on our height predictions, many fields should already be harvested.
If your forage inventory is adequate, consider alternative strategies for handling first-cut forage that is past its prime:
- Use it for heifer or dry cow rations.
- Chop and return poor quality material to the field.
- Ask yourself: Do I really need all of it in storage if the quality is compromised?
Nutrient Decline with Maturity Happens FAST
To go from high-quality alfalfa at 20% CP / 30% ADF / 40% NDF to a significantly lower-quality 17% CP / 34% ADF / 45% NDF takes only 5 to 6 days. Advancing maturity impacts nutrient composition daily:
- NDF increases ~0.9%/day → decreased intake.
- ADF increases ~0.7%/day → reduced digestibility and energy.
- Crude protein decreases ~0.5%/day → more supplements needed.
The Cost of Delay
Delaying first cut means more than lower milk potential—it increases your need for purchased energy and protein and reduces dry matter intake due to poor digestibility. Poor-quality forage affects not only animal performance, but also the economics of your feeding program.
Haylage Harvest Reminders:
- Do NOT ensile haylage wetter than 30%—target 32–40% dry matter.
- Do NOT chop alfalfa wet!
- DO use a proven forage inoculant at harvest.
- DO increase packing capacity—add a second tractor or more weight.
- Consider “Hay-in-a-Day” strategies to reduce weather risk and maximize quality
👉 Watch: Hay in a Day video
Problems with Wet Haylage:
- Reduced intake
- Increased risk of clostridial fermentation and butyric acid
- Long-term health risks like ketosis
- Poor preservation leads to disposal needs—but it can be returned as fertilizer.
Bottom line: Do not fill your storage with poor first cutting. If it is not worth feeding, do not store it. You will feel obligated to feed it later—at the expense of performance, profitability, and herd health.
Thank you to David Bechtel for capturing these field height measurements.
Next report will be May 28.
Assisting Mike Stanyard and Jodi Letham is Field Support Staff – David Bechtel
