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Some seed quality issues popping up in Illinois corn crop

A Bayer agronomist says some Illinois farmers are seeing seed quality issues in their corn crop.

Lance Tarochione, who’s based in west central Illinois, tells Brownfield…

“East central Illinois is fighting that more.”  He says, “Somebody I was talking to the other day described to me an ear of corn that looked like a bag of Skittles because it had every color under the rainbow on it with, you know, green kernels, and blue kernels, and red kernels, and sprouted kernels. Not a good look.”

He says the issues seem to be regional and centered on early season hybrids.

“I don’t know whether it’s kind of a timing thing on the 105-day corn, or if it’s just that’s the only stuff that’s far enough along to show it,” he says.

He says farmers seeing quality issues need to utilize a dryer.

“Fast drying in a high temperature dryer is the best thing for that stuff.”  He says, “Either get it to town and get it out of your hands, or if you’re going to store it, get it dried down to, you know, 14% or so. That will really stop the damage.”

Tarochione says he’s not heard of any reports of grain samples being rejected at an elevator this season but says farmers should monitor their crop as harvest progresses. 

AUDIO: Lance Tarochione – Bayer agronomist