Growing Degree Day (GDD) Deviation: A measure of this location’s departure from the 10-year GDD average, calculated by subtracting GDD accumulation from planting to current date from the 10-year average.
The table below illustrates sampling data collected for this week, including weather data collected from the Bushel Farms platform.
Table 1. Sampling data collected this week
Several locations in southeastern Pennsylvania have been dropped since our previous report, as silage harvest timing approaches and harvest moves forward. Be sure to monitor field conditions and test moisture levels to determine the current moisture level of your corn crop. The average daily dry-down rate for silage is about 0.5% of moisture loss per day, with rates ranging from 0.0-1.0% in extreme weather conditions. In our observations, average daily dry-down rates ranged from 0.2% to 1.0% of moisture loss per day. All locations saw a notable decrease in dry-down rates in the past two weeks, as cooler weather has moved across the state and slowed the accumulation of growing degree days.
If cool weather conditions persist, daily growing degree day accumulations could drop and prolong the dry-down period in fields that were not maturing early from drought. For an explanation of how growing degree days affects corn silage maturity progression, see Corn Silage Approaching Maturity - Moving Past Thumb Rules. To ensure your corn is harvested at the proper moisture level, we recommend chopping and drying samples each week to make sure your harvest is conducted in a timely manner.
Table 2. Target moisture content for corn silage depending on storage structure
For a comprehensive review of best management practices for harvesting, storing, and feeding silage, please see From Harvest to Feed: Understanding Silage Management
Source : psu.edu