Not since the fall of 1997 has the corn crop been down as bad as this year over parts of Nebraska.

Storms in late August and early September flatten portions of fields in areas of the state. Periodic high winds with rainfall continue to cause the weak stalks to fall over.

For various reasons, the corn stalks were drained of nutrients as the kernels were finished filling.

Very hot days and nights this summer stressed the crop. The very humid conditions with prevailing southwest winds allowed southern rust to colonize the corn leaf area in August. Gray leaf spot also rapidly progressed on the susceptible hybrids. Most of the diseases infested late enough in crop development and didn’t physiologically hurt the yield. However, the lack of green leaf tissue caused the stalks to be robbed of nutrients and weak stalks resulted.

The fields that had poor water management and/or moisture stress areas of the fields have very weak stalks and lodging problems now. Excess nitrogen applications and high plant populations exacerbated the problem. Excessive rootworm feeding, spider mite, and corn borer infestations cause the stalks to be weaker later in the year from poor nutrient flow and uptake in the plant.

We can’t avoid the high winds, hail, and storms that will occasionally damage ones fields. One needs to continue to plant adapted hybrids at reasonable plant populations and effectively manage nitrogen, irrigation water, diseases and insects.

by Orvin Bontrager, CCA, CPAg