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Timely Tips | Harvest Success Tackling Down Corn

1. Harvest the Worst First

The sooner downed crop can be harvested the better.  Stalks quality will continue to degrade over time along with mold and grain quality loss with crop being on the ground.

2. Plan on Harvesting at Slower Speeds.

If you have access to a larger cornhead consider utilizing to cover more ground timely. Fan Speed & Rotor Speed may need reduced to handle poorer quality kernals & reduce damage

3. Get Low on Down Crop Laying Across the Row

Flatten the cornhead angle for down corn across rows and run as low as can without picking up dirt & rocks.  Lower the dividers on the end snouts.

4. Get Downwind

For crop laying across the rows start on the down wind side of field.

5. Get Tall on Down Crop Laying with the Row

Steeper head angle helps the gathering chains lift stalks up that are laying in the row.  Harvest against the lean if harvesting in one direction.

6.  Adjust Gathering Chains

Move gathering chains from staggered position to directly opposed to increase the agressiveness of feeding

Turn Gathering Chains Around to Increase Aggressiveness of Feeding

Attach paddles to Gathering Chain Lugs

7. Improve Material Flow

Stripper Plates Open & Use More Tapper to Top

Remove Rubber Ear Savers 

In this 3-minute video, Dr. Matt Darr and Ben Covington with ISU Digital Ag share their tips for harvesting downed corn as well as resources that are available statewide to help growers manage a difficult harvest.

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