Silage harvest rapidly advancing across Midwest

A dairy forage specialist says continued hot and drought-like conditions are speeding up corn silage harvest in many parts of the Midwest.

Dann Bollinger with Pioneer tells Brownfield, "There are different kinds of pressures hastening dry down, whether it be drought stress, extreme heat or in some cases, disease pressures or all the above."

He says supporting the fermentation process with a good inoculant is extremely important during storage when considering tar spot pressure and the dryness.

"When the plants dry down excessively fast, they're going to be lower in moisture content and lower in sugar content," he explains. "It's extremely important to have a very efficient fermentation to maximize the amount of moisture and nutrients that are available."

Bollinger also recommends watching stalk integrity throughout the entire corn crop to prioritize where grain harvest needs to start.

AUDIO: Brownfield's Larry Lee interviews Dann Bollinger