What's in Your New Crop Corn Silage?

Nov 19, 2025

By Zachary Curtis and Kassandra Hower et.al

As silo structures are opened after harvest, producers can find issues with molds, mycotoxins, and abnormally warm silage. The initial fermentation period in corn silage can progress in as soon as 30 days, after which producers can evaluate the fermentation and nutrient quality of ensiled corn. Producers may also notice that pH and starch digestibility levels continue to change over the following 180 days as silage acids continue to degrade some components of the starch molecules.

Submit a Forage Analysis

A forage analysis is critical to helping livestock producers properly balance rations, minimize purchased feed costs, and prevent animal health issues. However, a forage analysis offers value beyond indicating protein, starch, fiber, or other nutrient levels. Various commercial forage analysis laboratories have expanded testing packages to include fermentation quality analyses, mold and mycotoxin screens, and energy index calculations.

An annual forage analysis can also help you benchmark your forages against other producers and ideal nutrient levels. Since forage quality can vary from year to year based on growing season conditions, searching through a lab's quality data can explain yearly differences in starch or fiber content. Industry benchmarks can be found in the article Corn Silage Production and Management.

Source : psu.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.