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Stalk quality concerns in Minnesota

Stalk integrity is a concern for some Corn Belt farmers.

Carolyn Olson of Cottonwood in southwest Minnesota says the growing season was dry and recent winds have been strong.

“So we’re all kind of holding our breath that things will keep standing. Nobody likes to harvest a mess, and at this point in the year you can have a lot of ear loss. So that’s definitely on our mind.”

The Minnesota Farm Bureau Vice President tells Brownfield lodging was a problem a year ago.

“We had a field go down last year that also was drought-stressed and had a wind just tangle it up in a mess, so we’re hoping we don’t have to deal with that this year as well.”

University of Minnesota Extension crops educator Dave Nicolai encourages farmers to check stalks and prioritize susceptible corn fields.