The Corn Feed

High-quality corn silage in the bunker starts with a high-quality corn crop in the field.  The odds of successfully growing a high-quality corn crop are dependent on many factors.  Top producers manage the details they can control and thus, minimize the influence of the details they can’t, such as the environment, on their corn silage production.  One such detail that can be controlled is proper fertility.

Proper fertilization is essential for producing a high-quality corn silage crop.  Since a greater portion of the plant is harvested, the nutrient requirements for silage production are much different than corn grain production.  Under-fertilizing can put a corn silage crop under stress, produce stunted plants and result in lower tonnage and reduced quality.  The stress of poor fertility often leads to increased incidence of foliar and stalk rot diseases, which also have a negative effect on silage quality.  On the other hand, over-fertilizing also has consequences.  Over-application of nutrients, either commercial fertilizer or manure, can lead to off-site nutrient movement by runoff or leaching.  Another more apparent negative is that in the current dairy economy, producers can’t afford to spend money on inputs that don’t provide good return on investment.

A current, accurate soil test is the best place to start a corn silage fertility plan.  Like any journey, knowing where you are starting from is key to reaching your goals.  The three essential nutrients for corn silage growth are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).  Nitrogen, the most important of these primary elements, is a mobile nutrient that needs to be supplied to the corn crop annually.  Nitrogen needs for silage are pretty similar to corn grown for grain, ranging from 150 to 200 pounds per acre.  Factors such as yield goals and previous crop are used for determining the optimum nitrogen rate for a grain crop and also hold true for silage.  When determining the rate for a corn silage crop, be sure to take all of these factors into consideration.  When applying manure, remember to start with an accurate analysis and use effective nitrogen rates.

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