GSI continuous flow dryer

Source: AGCO news release

ASSUMPTION, Ill. — With harvest underway, a key consideration is how long to allow corn to dry down in the field. Recent research indicates that harvesting early at a higher moisture content, combined with on-farm grain drying, can help farmers maximize their yield potential and return on investment.

“That’s because invisible or phantom yield loss can occur when corn is left to dry too long to harvest at lower grain moisture levels,” said Greg Trame, GSI regional sales director.

“This happens between black layer and harvest due to lost dry matter in the kernels. We also see that the longer the crop stands, it’s also more susceptible to lodging, dropped ears or broken stalks.”

Trame added that when harvesting lower-moisture corn, farmers can also experience increases in mechanical loss. “As lower moisture ears hit the corn head, more kernels shell off the ear, never making it into the combine.”

PTI research farm study

GSI participated in research last season at the Precision Technology Institute (PTI) research farm in Pontiac, Illinois, which studied corn yield performance at four different moisture levels. The hybrids harvested at 27% moisture performed the best, with an average yield of 254.3 bushels per acre. Yield reductions per acre at lower moisture levels were 2.3 bushels at 24%, 6.7 bushels at 20% and 11.4 bushels at 18%.

The PTI research also took into account the cost of drying the high-moisture corn to determine net return. Using a GSI on-farm continuous flow dryer with propane gas, the 27% moisture corn delivered the highest economic value. Reductions in overall net return per acre were experienced at the lower moisture levels.

The research also compared net return of the continuous flow dryer with local commercial elevator pricing for corn yields averaging 240 bushels per acre. That showed an average savings of nearly $29 per acre for the on-farm dryer.

This was the first time for the research program. The PTI research farm, operated by Precision Planting, said it hopes to evaluate phantom yield loss of various corn hybrids in the future.

GSI early harvest ROI calculator

GSI has developed an early harvest ROI calculator that can help farmers quantify the impact of invisible and mechanical yield losses for corn. “They simply enter their corn acres, anticipated yield per acre and harvest price into the calculator to see what they may be leaving behind in the field,” Trame said.

For more information, visit grainsystems.com and enter the search term Early Harvest Calculator.