Harvesting corn for silage at the correct whole plant moisture (60-70%, depending on storage system) is the first step to making high-quality silage. Farmers have one opportunity to harvest corn silage at the correct time each season, so it’s necessary to monitor corn silage acres to optimize harvest timing to meet these goals.
UW-Madison Extension, in partnership with forage councils and agribusinesses across Wisconsin, continues to offer corn silage dry down events to help growers target the optimum whole plant moisture for harvest in their region of the state. In addition, educators are tracking metrics such as hybrid, relative maturity, fungicide and cover crop use and grain stage to inform future management recommendations that allow growers to optimize forage quality.
Our newly launched dry down monitoring tool provides a quick look at current whole plant moisture data from across the state and provides the opportunity for growers to focus on the data relevant to their farm to make harvest decisions.
Interested in getting involved? Reach out to your local Regional Crops Educator for more information. Check out our Corn Silage resources for more tips for managing your silage harvest.
Corn Silage Management Resources
Weekly Corn Silage Dry Down Data for Wisconsin Farmers
Each week our team of Regional Crops Educators will provide updates on the status of the silage corn crop and harvest. Check back each Friday to see what is happening across the state.
Week of Sept. 29 – Oct. 3, 2025
Northcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
A lot of farmers are still busy with corn silage harvest in this region. The average moisture across samples taken in the past week is 65.56% whole plant moisture.
Eastcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest is wrapping up in this region of the state with the focus switching to soybean harvest.
Southcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
The last fields of corn silage have been coming off this week across the region with the focus switching to soybean harvest.
Week of Sept. 22 – Sept. 26, 2025
Northcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest is well underway in this region, and the most recent sample averages are holding steady at 66.4% whole plant moisture.
Northeast Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Most farmers in this region are currently in the harvesting process. Average whole plant moisture from a dry down event held on 9/25 was 65.75% whole plant moisture.
Eastcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Harvest in this region has been slowed by the weekend rain; however, growers have a good window to work for the next 10 days. Whole plant moisture remains variable among farms and within fields, which has made harvest for silos and bags a bit slower. Local agronomists have reported that some ear molds are present- likely from the extended period of moisture and high humidity. The expectation is that much of the area’s corn will be chopped by this time next week.
Week of Sept. 15 – Sept. 19, 2025
Northcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest started in the region this week. The recent warm weather brought corn into ideal moisture levels for harvest. The average moisture from samples received in the last week is 66.95% whole plant moisture.
Northwest Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Samples in this region are showing that moisture percentages for early planted corn are in the upper 60s, while moisture percentages for later planted corn are in the low to mid 70s.
Northeast Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
The average whole plant moisture from a dry down event held on 9/17 in this region was 68.53%.
Eastcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Moisture levels in this region are highly variable. Harvest is ending for some growers while others have opened fields and are selectively harvesting what they can. Much of the crop still seems to have higher than optimum whole plant moisture and hasn’t dried down as much as expected with the recent warm, dry weather. In field moisture variability seems high as well.
Southcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Many silo piles are covered in plastic in the Southern part of the state with fall cover crops being planted and manure applications beginning. High moisture corn harvest has begun in the region this week.
Southwest Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Keep an eye on moisture levels, as recent warm weather has been drying corn down quickly in the area.
Week of Sept. 8 – Sept. 12, 2025
General comments on corn silage harvest across Wisconsin: Overall, corn silage harvest across the state is behind schedule compared to historical averages. There has been a concern of disease pressure, particularly from Southern Rust.
Dr. Damon Smith, plant pathologist and extension specialist with UW-Madison, advises that since Southern Rust has been observed to “suck the moisture” out of the corn plant, farmers should be prioritizing heavy southern rust fields for chopping first if the moisture is okay and be watching whole plant moisture closely. He also notes that when things are too dry going into the bunker, oxygen will remain in the system longer, which can cause concern for fungal issues and mycotoxin problems in the bunker. For more information on safety around silo gas dangers, read Farm Health and Safety Alert: Understanding Silo Gas Dangers.
Northcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest has not begun yet, as moisture levels are still too high.
Northwest Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Moisture levels are still higher than optimum for harvest. A dry down event in the area this week showed that the driest sample was still 74% whole plant moisture.
Northeast Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
A dry down event was held in the region this week. Out of 127 samples taken, the driest was 73.3% whole plant moisture.
Eastcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Very little corn silage has been harvested in this region. The average moisture out of 49 samples from Sheboygan County was 68.89% whole plant moisture, and the average moisture out of 109 samples from Fond du Lac County averaged 76.92% whole plant moisture. Corn plants in Fond du Lac County did not show much disease pressure and are looking healthy, but recent reports have started to come in about Southern Rust making an appearance in this region. Cob progress advanced significantly from last week. The warm weather coming in the following week will provide favorable conditions for chopping in this region.
Southeast Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage moisture in this region of the state is averaging 68.64% whole plant moisture. Disease pressure from Southern Rust is a concern in this region.
Week of Sept. 1 – Sept. 5, 2025
Northcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest has not started yet, as moisture levels are still too high.
Southcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest has begun with silage fit to store in bags and bunkers. Plants are holding their green color with kernel milk line at the halfway point and moisture estimates around 65-68%.
Southwest Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Corn silage harvest is underway in this region of the state. In some cases, farmers are harvesting the outer rows and leaving the interiors due to the outside of fields drying down faster. Diseases such as Southern Rust and Tar Spot are putting plants in southwestern Wisconsin under significant disease pressure. Recent cool weather has helped to maintain some moisture even through disease stress.
Eastcentral Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Data from a dry down event this week showed that the average moisture on corn silage samples was 76%. Plants appear healthy with limited disease pressure. Corn grain is not far along with lots of corn in the early dent stage and barely ¼ milk line. Dry conditions might be causing moisture stress to the plants, but this could be tempered by incoming cool and cloudy weather.
Northeast Wisconsin Corn Silage Dry Down Report
Waiting on final Thursday Dry Down results; however, most samples were ½ milk line, and 32 samples averaged 71% moisture. Some healthy plants but many had some tar spot or southern rust present.
