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Corn Harvest Quality Report 2015/2016

Contents

  1. Harvest Quality Highlights
  2. Introduction
  3. Quality Test Results
  4. Moisture
  5. Chemical Composition
  6. Physical Factors
  7. Mycotoxins
  8. Crop and Weather Conditions
  9. Planting and Early Growth Conditions - Spring (March - May)
  10. Pollination and Grain Fill Conditions - Summer (June - August)
  11. Harvest Conditions (September - October +)
  12. Comparison of the 2015 Average to the 2014, 2013, and 4YA
  13. Corn Production, Usage, and Outlook
  14. U.S. Corn Use and Ending Stocks
  15. Outlook
  16. Survey and Statistical Analysis Methods
  17. Survey Design and Sampling
  18. Statistical Analysis
  19. Testing Analysis Methods
  20. Corn Grading Factors
  21. Moisture
  22. Chemical Composition
  23. Physical Factors
  24. Mycotoxin Testing
  25. U.S. Corn Grades and Conversions
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IV. CROP AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather plays a large role in the corn planting process, growing conditions, and grain development in the field, which, in turn, impacts final grain yield and quality. Overall, the 2015 growing season experienced early planting, a cool, wet vegetative period (the period of growth between germination and pollination), and rapid natural dry-down and harvest. The 2015 corn crop had the second best crop condition rating1 during reproductive growth in the past five years, resulting in high yields and setting the stage for overall high grain quality. The following highlights the key events of the 2015 growing season:

  • Wide variation in temperatures and precipitation occurred in the spring, but half of the crop was planted in a two-week earlierthan-average window.
  • Heavy rainfall and cool temperatures in late vegetative- to-pollination stages led to nitrogen fertilizer loss, limited nitrogen uptake, and lower protein and horneous endosperm accumulation.
  • A cool, dry reproductive period led to less stress during grain filling, with greater than average starch accumulation in all ECAs.
  • Warm temperatures and dry conditions hastened maturity, natural drying, and harvesting, especially in the northern areas.

The following sections describe how the 2015 growing season weather impacted the corn yield and grain quality in the U.S. Corn Belt.

1 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rates the U.S. corn crop weekly during the production cycle. The rating is based on yield potential, and plant stress due to a number of factors including extreme temperatures, excessive or insufficient moisture, disease, insect damage and/or weed pressure.