GDDs September 25, 2020
Erik Smith, Area Field Crop Specialist/Team Leader
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
For what should be the last time this year, here are the air Growing Degree Days (GDDs) that have accumulated to date from 13 locations across the team's 8-county area.
Growing Degree Days are Base 86/50 F and calculated by taking the average daily temperature, ((Daily Max Temp - Daily Min Temp)/2) - 50. But the maximum temperature cannot be more than 86 degree F and the minimum less than 50 degree F.
See: Growing Degree Calculator
Many of us experienced frost last weekend. We're not expecting another frost or freeze in the near future, but daily temps are difficult to predict more than 10-14 days out. Here's Cornell's weather blog with our short-term outlook, and here's an article regarding alfalfa harvest for those with difficult harvesting decisions to make after a frost or freeze. Also, here is a publication from Iowa State with information for those who may have experienced a hard freeze in their corn or soy before physiological maturity.
Silage harvest is beginning to wind down throughout the region, but:
We've noticed that fewer fields are being affected by the typical late-season foliar diseases this year, so green foliage may mislead you into thinking you still have time - so check your crop to make sure you're on schedule for silage harvest!
If you know your GDDs for your hybrid to physiological maturity (black layer) subtract off 150 GDDs to get you roughly the GDDs needed to silage harvest dry matter for that hybrid. However, tasseling dates serve as a better starting place to project corn silage harvest dates than planting dates. Silage harvest is likely to begin at about 800 GDDs after tasseling for 101-110 day hybrids and 750 GDDs for 96-100 day hybrids. Using the GDDs after tasseling to harvest and the Climate Smart Farming Website's 15 year GDD data it is possible to make projections as to when corn silage harvest might begin. Record Silking/Tasseling Dates for Corn Fields
Bunker silage should be ~65-70% moisture at harvest (30-35% DM), so if you have early-planted corn in some of the lower-lying areas (especially in the eastern part of the region this year!), take note of what stage you're at in the coming days and weeks:


See the attached table for more of the September 25, 2020 results. See the attached pdf for a good guide on corn development and our reference for growth stages.
GDDs September 25, 2020 (pdf; 37KB)
Visual Guide to Corn Development (pdf; 21544KB)
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Mother nature has really been difficult over the last few days. Significant damage has been seen throughout NYS. Please let us know what types of damage your farm may have sustained during this time. This could be in the form of property damage, lost power, milk dump due to lost power, loss of livestock, loss of stored feed or growing crops.Farms are encouraged to DOCUMENT AND SHARE any impacts the weather may have had on their home or business. This could include structure damage, crop loss, inventory loss due to power outages, damage to equipment or fencing, and more.
If your farm experienced any sort of damage, please reach out to any of the folks listed below (or all of them). The more impact information that is collected, the greater the likelihood of a disaster declaration which can bring vital emergency support and awareness. The CNYDLFC Team will continue to collect detail and submit to NYSDAM and the EDEN network.
Reporting Weather Related Impacts (For your home or farm business)
- First, ensure that all the people and animals on your farm are safe, and that there aren't any unsafe working conditions created because of the weather (check your structures!). If there's an emergency, call 911 - don't try to manage it all on your own.
- Second, document all negative weather impacts for your farm and their estimated financial cost. Take photos, make estimates, and put it all in a safe place.
- Reach out to your insurance providers - farm, vehicle, crop, etc. to initiate the claim process as needed.
- Then, share your farm's damage with any (or all) of the ag support agencies listed below. We all work together to collect storm damage information and funnel it up to Ag and Markets which can initiate a natural disaster declaration.
- Chenango: 607-334-5841
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-2135
- Herkimer: 315-866-7920
- Madison: 315-684-3001
- Otsego: 607-547-2536
- Schoharie: 518-234-4303
- Saratoga: 518-885-8995
- Erik Smith: 315-219-7786
- Daniela Gonzalez: 315-749-3486
- Ashley McFarland- 315-604-2156
Your county USDA/FSA service center.
- Chenango: 607-334-3231
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-4015
- Herkimer: 315-866-2520
- Madison:315-824-9076
- Otsego: 607-547-8131
- Schoharie: 518-295-8600
- Saratoga: 518-692-9940
Your county farm bureau manager
- Region 3: Bailey Coon: 518-937-0566
- Region 5: John Wagner: 315-761-9770
- Region 6: Natally Batiston: 518-937-0269
- Region 7: Todd Heyn: 518-431-9338
Please let us know how we can help you.
Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey
To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.Farmers Can Join MeatSuite For Free!
MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products.Why should farmers join?
1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.
How do I join?
Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ to create a free farm profile. You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live. You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.
While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.