Ag Barometer

Last week, I received reports of several ear oddities showing up in corn fields including the following: Shortened husk leaves with normal ears protruding beyond the husks Most corn fields have a few ears with exposed tips. In extreme situations, a high proportion of ears outgrow husks by 1/3 to 1/2.

U.S. Capitol building - Washington D.C. Photo: Licensed image. In an era of low agricultural commodity prices plus the history of the Democratic Party and the approach to agricultural policy that it developed during the Great Depression, it should come as no surprise that two of the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for President have come out in favor of supply management programs for agriculture.

©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography Sampling corn stalks this fall will likely be later than normal due to the delayed planting in many Iowa cornfields. The overall suggestion is to wait until crop maturity, and sample within 1-3 weeks after kernel black layer. This does not work well for silage corn, so the suggestion is to collect stalk samples at the time of silage harvest or within 24 hours after harvest (as long as no rain between harvest and sampling).