Field Crop Update September 18, 2026

Silage season is definitely underway around the region. A little later than recent years, but the strong El Niño suggests that we'll have an extended, somewhat milder fall and delayed frost. So while our harvest window may be wider than what we've become accustomed to, take your forage when you have the chance - rain events are more difficult to forecast in the spring and fall seasons!

1. We're gearing up for a knapweed field walk at the Stone Quarry Art Park in Cazenovia. We'll go over soil health, cutting management, and how fertility amendments may help your grasses out-compete weeds in hayfields. We have two small trial plots there, so we'll go over the results of those and you'll be able to see how well or how poorly the treatments worked. Details are still being ironed out, but we're looking at the early part of October - so stay tuned for more information.
2. We've wrapped up our first two corn silage dry-down days, but we have one more, coming up on Monday:
   1. Sept 21 - Lutz Feed Co: 80 Lower River St, Oneonta (607-432-7984) 

• 10am - 1pm. No registration required. Free.
• Cut a bundle of 3-4 stalks from each field at the height you plan to set the chopper.
• Samples should be cut on the morning of the event.
• Receive DM and starch estimates as well as projected ideal harvest window.

(See: Climate Smart Farming Growing Degree Day Calculator)

Growing degree days (GDD) are calculated by taking the average daily temperature and subtracting the base temperature for development of a given organism ((High + Low)/2 – base temp = GDD).

For corn, we use base 50/86, as corn development starts at 50 degrees F and ceases above 86F. Check your location and planting date for grain GDD.

For silage, we track GDD from silking. Silking in our region began mid-July and is continuing through the first half of August. Your crop may have tasseled on or more closely to one of these dates. So while our GDD tables can get you in the ballpark, check your own whole-plant DM to make sure you’re ready, and not ahead/behind schedule!

Remember: Silage corn needs 750-800 GDD (depending on hybrid maturity) after silking to reach a whole plant DM of 32%. Under typical late season dry down conditions we can expect the crop to reach 35% DM four to seven days later. We can expect to accumulate 15-25 GDD per day, or even up to 30, so peak maturity can creep up on us quickly. But no matter what the numbers say, always check your crop to see how close you may be to harvest. For more details, see this article: For more information, see this article.

Silking date / silage forecast GDD color key (BALLPARK ONLY - these are based on corn development from silking at GDD (which is the best sight-unseen forecasting method we have, but still has limitations):

Blue: Time to make plans (32-35% DM anywhere between 5 – 11 days from now, depending on maturity).

Green: Gas up the harvester and the trucks (32-35% DM in 2 – 8 days, depending on maturity).

Yellow: See you in the field soon (32-35% DM imminently).

Red: It’s either already in the bunk or it’s eventually going for high-moisture corn or grain (DM likely closer to 40%).