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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #100479
Title: EFFECT OF TOPPING ON THE MANAGEMENT OF MAIZE

Author
item SWENSON, DANIEL - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Olness, Alan
item LOPEZ, DIAN - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Minnesota Academy of Science Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Grain moisture at harvest is often too great in northern regions of the Cornbelt to permit storage without drying. Topping of maize (Zea mays L.), that is, removal of foliage above the ear late in the growing season, results in faster grain dry down in the field. However, it may cause a loss of yield. Topping was conducted at 4 sites in 1997 and at 3 sites in 1998 to determine effects of this practice on grain yield. Corn was topped in the R-4 growth-stage in 1997 and in the R-5 growth-stage in 1998. Grain yields were converted to relative yields by dividing sample yields at a site by the largest yield obtained at that site; this eliminates the effect of climatic variation between years and sites. The effect of topping varied with growth-stage and site. Topping caused yield losses equal to or greater than 35% in 1997 and produced variable effects in 1998. Yield gains with topping were probably due to an interaction with the late summer drought stress in 1998. Topping resulted in reduction of grain moisture at harvest by about 1 to 6.7%. Price dockage of about $0.049 per bushel for moisture content greater than 15.5% means that topping increased the value of the harvested crop of $0.05 to $0.30 per bushel. This decrease in drying cost can, under certain conditions, offset grain yield loss and costs of the topping operation.