A recap of the Badger Crop Connect webinar on July 12, 2023

Flash Drought in Corn: Where do we go from here?

Joe Lauer UW-Madison Corn Agronomist and Extension Specialist

UW-Madison corn agronomist Joe Lauer explains to webinar viewers that as the state’s corn crop nears mid-July the water-holding capacity of soils has allowed deep roots to mine for water. His plots across the state all actually look good. Most places since January have had 13” or less of water accumulation. But as the crop reaches the V12 to V16 growth stages corn will require more water.  Find out how much it will need to prevent daily yield losses in the webinar.

Second Lauer detailed the critical corn pollination time. A short window of 6-9 days is even shorter during drought as stress corn plants pollenate earlier and silk later creating only a 3–4-day overlap. Learn how to check on pollination success and Joe’s strategies for the 2023-24 crop in the first part of the July 12, 2023, Badger Crop Webinar Recording. 

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Flash Drought Cover Crop Success, Challenges and Combine Cleaning

Daniel Smith Regional Specialist Nutrient Pest Management

Daniel Smith shared the state had 210,000 acres of winter rye cover crops this year. In Wisconsin, there are good corn and soybeans planted into cover crops. Yes, a few stages behind, but when you dig up the crop has noticeably more root mass and less drought stress compared to conventionally tilled crops. Common challenges for cover crop corn includes seeing variable corn size in the same row in the field watch the webinar to hear management ideas for harvest and feeding. As many prepare for wheat harvest, he reminded growers to clean combines especially for weed seeds before you begin. Learn about the top 3 areas to clean by watching the second half of the July 12, 2023 Badger Crop webinar Recording. 

Watch the recording