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Agronomist warns of corn stalk issues heading into harvest

An agronomist says there are growing concerns about widespread standability issues in corn this fall.

Andy Swanson covers southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa for Wyffels Hybrids. “Just about every hybrid has some kind of stalk integrity, crown rot and stalk rot issues going on right now.”

He tells Brownfield weather patterns and disease pressure likely contributed to the problem. Swanson says producers should prioritize damaged fields at harvest. “If we get any strong winds, we could definitely see some corn go over. The thing I would recommend doing right now is go do a pinch test at the bottom of the stalk and see if crushes between your fingers. Do a push test. Can you bend it over to the row next to it without it kinking or falling over.”

He says if the crop holds up, he’s optimistic it won’t have a major impact on yield potential.

Andy Swanson: