Let Whole Plant Moisture Be Your Guide to Harvest Time!
The best lactation performance by dairy cows has been shown to occur when corn silage is harvested at 65-70 percent moisture. This range of whole plant moisture also works well for achieving good packing and silage fermentation in horizontal silos. Determining whole plant moisture prior to harvest is one management practice to ensure high-quality forages.
Thank you to the following businesses for their financial support:
Country Visions | Bayer (Dekalb) | Syngenta (NK) | FS Insight | Corteva (Brevant)
Winfield United (Croplan) | Hundertmark Seed | Hodorff Seed & Agronomy
Oakfield Elevator | Farmers Elevator | Rock River Seed & Chemical | Prairie Rock Seed
CP Feeds | United Coop | Dairyland Seed | Lonnie Boelk (Spangler)
Community Ag Service | Eden Equipment | Miritz Custom Chopping
September 13, 2022
Forty-six (46) samples were submitted to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis on September 13, 2022. Overall the moisture was approximately 62.98% to 76.27% moisture.
Results of the September 13 corn silage dry down
September 06, 2022
Ninety-seven (97) samples were submitted to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis on September 6, 2022. Overall the moisture was approximately 63.25% to 75.04% moisture.
Results of the September 06 corn silage dry down
August 30, 2022
Twelve (12) samples were submitted to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis on August 30, 2022. Overall the moisture was approximately 64.92% to 76.84% moisture.
Results of the August 30 corn silage dry down
2021 Corn Silage Dry Down Days Results
Thank you to the following businesses for their financial support:
Country Visions | Bayer (Dekalb) | Syngenta (NK) | FS Insight | Corteva (Brevant)
CP Feeds | Winfield United (Croplan) | Hundertmark Seed | Hodorff Seed & Agronomy
Oakfield Elevator | Farmers Elevator | Rock River Seed & Chemical | Prairie Rock Seed
United Coop | Dairyland Seed | Lonnie Boelk (Spangler) | Community Ag Service
September 7, 2021
Fifty-four (54) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on September 7, 2021. Overall the moisture was approximately 64.07% to 75.52% moisture.
Results of the September 7 corn silage dry down
August 31, 2021
One hundred twenty-nine (129) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on August 31, 2021. Overall the moisture was approximately 58.17% to 75.46% moisture.
Results of the August 31 corn silage dry down
August 24, 2021
Thirty (30) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on August 24, 2021. Overall the moisture was approximately 68.49% to 75.60% moisture.
2020 Corn Silage Dry Down Day Results
Thank you to our sponsors for their support of the 2020 Fond du Lac County Forage Council’s Corn Silage Moisture Testing Program:
Country Visions Coop | CP Feeds | Bayer (Dekalb Seeds) | Syngenta (NK Seeds)
Corteva (Brevant Seeds) | Winfield Seeds (Croplan Seeds) | Insight FS | United Coop
Dairyland Seed | Rock River Seed & Chemical | Hodorff Seed & Agronomy
Oakfield Elevator | Community Ag Service | Farmers Elevator
September 8, 2020
With early planting and strong growing conditions in 2020, we are on track to get our corn harvested in a much more timely fashion this fall. Remember that we generally plan to lose about ½% moisture per day this time of the year. More when it is warmer and less when the temperatures are cooler.
Results of the September 8 corn silage dry down
| Harvest Date | Total Samples | Minimum | Maximum | Average | Standard Deviation |
| 9-8-2020 | 39 | 63.4% | 74.3% | 68.9% | 2.6% |
September 1, 2020
With early planting and strong growing conditions in 2020, we are on track to get our corn harvested in a much more timely fashion this fall. Remember that we generally plan to lose about ½% moisture per day this time of the year. More when it is warmer and less when the temperatures are cooler.
Results of the September 1 corn silage dry down
| Harvest Date | Total Samples | Minimum | Maximum | Average | Standard Deviation |
| 9-1-2020 | 107 | 63.9% | 75.9% | 70.5% | 2.4% |
August 25, 2020
With early planting and strong growing conditions in 2020, we are on track to get our corn harvested in a much more timely fashion this fall. Remember that we generally plan to lose about ½% moisture per day this time of the year. More when it is warmer and less when the temperatures are cooler.
Results of the August 25 corn silage dry down
| Harvest Date | Total Samples | Minimum | Maximum | Average | Standard Deviation |
| 8/25/2020 | 33 | 65.70% | 77.70% | 72.30% | 3.20% |
2019 Corn Silage Dry Day Results
October 1, 2019
Twenty-three (23) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on October 1, 2019. Overall the moisture was approximately 62.38% to 78.97% moisture.
Results of the October 1 corn silage dry down
September 24, 2019
Fifty-one (51) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on September 24, 2019. Overall the moisture was approximately 59.73% to 75.33% moisture.
Results of the September 24 corn silage dry down
September 17, 2019
Seventy-two (72) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on September 17, 2019. Overall the moisture was approximately 60.3% to 76.6% moisture.
2018 Corn Silage Dry Down Day Results
September 11, 2018
Seventy-eight (78) samples were submitted to UW-Marshfield Soils and Forage Laboratory for analysis on September 11, 2018. Overall the moisture was approximately 60.3% to 76.6% moisture. Results from the September 11th corn silage dry down are as follows.
September 4, 2018
Forty-eight (48) samples were submitted for on-site moisture testing by Dairyland Labs on September 4th. Overall the moisture was approximately 68.3%, ranging from 64.4% to 71.8% moisture. Even though we have had a lot of rain the past weekend, the corn plant continues to mature. Results from the Sept 4th corn silage dry down are as follows.
August 28, 2018
Twenty-eight (28) samples were submitted to the laboratory on August 28th. Overall, the average moisture was approximately 75%. The moisture ranged from 67.0% to 77.1% among the 28 samples. Results are as follows.
Thank you to our sponsors for their support of the 2018 Fond du Lac County Forage Council’s Corn Silage Moisture Testing Program:
Croplan Seeds/Winfield Solutions | Dekalb Seeds/Monsanto | Mycogen Seeds/Dow Agro Sciences
NK Seeds/Syngenta | Hodorff Agronomy & Seed | Dairyland Seed | Vellema Seed-Pioneer
Country Visions Coop | CP Feeds | Oakfield Elevator | Community Ag Service | Landmark Coop | Farmers Elevator
Fond du Lac County Forage Council | UW-Extension Fond du Lac County
Midwest Forage Association
2017 Corn Silage Dry Day Results
September 19, 2017
Twenty-nine samples were submitted to the laboratory on September 19th. Overall, the average moisture was 68.8% The moisture ranged from 63.2% to 73.4% among the 29 samples. Results are as follows. Warm temperatures predicted for the next few days could increase the drying in excess of the typical ½% per day.
September 12, 2017
Eight-eight samples were submitted to the laboratory on September 12th. Overall, the average moisture was 69.3%. The moisture ranged from 58.9% to 80.1% among the 88 samples. Results are as follows.
September 5, 2017 Results
Thirty-three samples were submitted to the laboratory on September 5th. Overall, the average moisture was 73.6%. The moisture ranged from 68% to 78% among the 33 samples. Results are as follows.
Thank you to our sponsors for their support of the 2017 Fond du Lac County Forage Council’s Corn Silage Moisture Testing Program:
Croplan Seeds/Winfield Solutions | Dekalb Seeds/Monsanto | LG Seeds | Mycogen Seeds/Dow
NK Seeds/Syngenta | Country Visions Coop | CP Feeds | Oakfield Elevator | Dairyland Seeds
Insight FS Coop
Fond du Lac County Forage Council | UW-Extension Fond du Lac County | Midwest Forage Association
2016 Corn Silage Dry Down Day Results
September 1, 2016 Results
Eighty-nine samples were submitted to the laboratory on September 1st. However, several of the samples did not have enough complete data (i.e. planting date, hybrid maturity date and/or location), so some of the results are not posted. Overall, the average moisture was 66.5%. The moisture ranged from 58% to 72% among the 89 samples. Results are as follows.
August 26, 2016 Results
Sixty-four samples were submitted to the laboratory on August 26th. However, several of the samples did not have enough complete data (i.e. planting date, hybrid maturity date and/or location), so some of the results are not posted. Overall, the average moisture was 68%. The moisture ranged from 58% to 74% among the 64 samples. Results are as follows.
2015 Corn Silage Dry Down Day Results
September 15, 2015 Results
Forty-seven samples were submitted for moisture analysis through the UW-Soils & Forage Analysis Laboratory on September 15th. Results are as follows. Use 0.5% (0% to 1%) range per day as an average dry down rate during the month of September.
September 8, 2015 Results
Twenty samples were submitted for moisture analysis through the UW-Soils & Forage Analysis Laboratory on September 8th. Results are as follows.
September 1, 2015 Results
One hundred samples were submitted for moisture analysis through the UW-Soils & Forage Analysis Laboratory on September 1st. Results are as follows.
August 25, 2015 Results
Eighteen samples were submitted for moisture analysis through the UW-Soils & Forage Analysis Laboratory on August 25th. Results are as follows.
