This year has been a challenging year for crop production, especially corn, with above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall. Some fields will have a very limited yield, but regardless of the reduced yield, we need to be prepared to minimize yield losses that can occur during harvest operations.
Harvest inefficiency reduces overall yield and can cause future problems because of volunteer corn.
Volunteer corn — that not intentially planted — may have some value by increasing the soil organic matter, providing cover to reduce soil erosion, or providing potential forage for grazing livestock. However, volunteer corn may cause problems for wheat planting after corn harvest, or in a wheat-corn-fallow cropping system by using valuable soil moisture and nutrients needed to promote fall tillering in wheat.
Volunteer corn can also provide a “green bridge” of vegetation for insects that can carry viral diseases in wheat.
Several factors may contribute to poor harvest efficiency in corn. Most of the kernel loss that occurs at harvest time is due to mechanical limitations with combine settings. A combine performs three major actions during the harvest operation: picking, threshing, and cleaning. Grain loss can occur at each of these stages.
Yield loss estimates are made by counting the number of kernels per square foot and dividing by 2. The number of kernels per square foot is approximately twice the bushels per acre lost. To estimate the yield loss, count the number of kernels in a square foot, and divide by 2. For example, a count of 20 kernels per square foot would indicate 10 bu/acre lost during harvest.
While it may be time-consuming to count kernels over a large area, it is important to get a good estimate of yield loss by counting kernels and ears from several locations in the field, and also including both header and thresher losses. Changes can then be made in the harvest operation and to the combine to improve the harvest efficiency.
It is also important to check for field losses at different times of the day when harvesting and on different fields. Changes in weather conditions may impact harvest efficiency.
While harvest efficiency will never be 100% and it is important to complete the harvest in a timely fashion, paying attention to details during harvest can increase profitability. A normal harvest loss rate to aim for is 1 to 2%. Careful attention to equipment, harvest conditions, and harvest operations can minimize yield losses at harvest time and put more corn in the bin.
Lonnie Mengarelli is a KSU Research and Extension Crops and Natural Resources agent assigned to Southwind District. He may be reached at [email protected] or 620-223-3720.
