Drought Forces North Dakota Farmers to Reconsider Corn Harvest Options

The hot and dry weather in North Dakota has forced some producers to decide whether to harvest their corn for grain or chop it for silage. The drought may lead to feed shortages, according to Ron Haugen, a farm management specialist at NDSU Extension.

Producers who planned on harvesting corn for grain are now asking how much the standing crop is worth if chopped for silage. To help them make this decision, NDSU Extension has revised its publication on determining the value of a standing corn crop for silage. The updated publication includes current values and procedures.

NDSU Extension specialists have also developed a silage decision tool, which is a downloadable Excel spreadsheet that allows producers to input their own numbers. This tool includes features for adjusting the corn silage price and estimating yield calculations.