Crisp, cool mornings remind us that fall is just around the corner. The crop continues to move quickly towards maturity, and harvest will be in full swing across Latham Country in a couple of weeks.

According to a Sept. 6 crop report by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, 96% of the state’s corn crop has reached dough stage. Eighty-six percent of the corn is at or beyond the dent stage, and 14% of the corn crop is mature.

Time is of the essence! Plan a successful harvest by scouting fields and evaluating standability. Identify potential problem areas. Note crop progress, as well as insect and disease pressure. Pay particular attention to fields that were damaged by wind and hail, promoting stalk rot.

Stalk rot is caused by stress, including extreme heat and a lack of moisture. Many acres were stressed this season, so standability could be an issue in several fields. Note the severity and prioritize fields for harvest. Implementing a strategy of “harvesting the worst first” could really pay off this fall when you keep kernals off the ground and in your hopper. You’ll want to get as many bushels as possible with corn at $7 or more!

For more information on how to detect stalk rot, watch my two-minute video and click here to read a related blog post.