Grain quality an issue this harvest

Grain quality is an issue in some area corn fields this harvest season.

Young of Brandt Consolidated has noticed some ear rot in Central Illinois. He has notice quite a bit of hybrid-specific issues. The looser husk hybrids are able to breathe better and receive more sun leading to better quality grain.

“Hopefully, with some of those ear rots, we can really slow that down with this 80-degree weather,” Young told The Central Illinois Farm Network this week.

Young cautions growers against putting damaged grain into a bin, saying we need every bushel we can get this year.

Brandt has observed some impressive yields so far. The winning corn variety in the company’s Gridley plot yielded 300.3 bushels per acre. The entire plot on the west side of town averaged 272, according to Young.