Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops 1

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1 SSAGR5 Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops E. B. Whitty and C. G. Chambliss 2 Field crops may be harvested by livestock or by man, by hand or with machinery for use on the farm or for sale. The harvested product may consist of the entire plant or only a part of it. In any case, there is an optimum stage of growth at which any given crop should be harvested for securing the proper balance between yield and quality. Information on the stages of growth at which various crops should be harvested for different uses is presented in Tables, 2, 3, 4, and 5. dough" stage. The "dent" stage of corn growth follows the "dough" stage and refers to when the kernels begins to show indentations, with "early" or "late" further describing this stage of growth. The "boot" stage of growth refers to the early reproductive stage of small grains and other grass crops when the inflorescence expands the upper leaf sheath, which may also be called the "boot". The term "hogging-off" refers to a method of harvest, usually of corn or peanuts, when hogs are put in a field to eat the crop. Moisture contents, at which harvested products should be stored, are listed in Table 6. Harvesting of the fruit of some crops, such as cotton, and the seed of certain others, such as clovers and soybeans, is made easier if part or all of the leaves are removed or desiccated prior to the operation of the mechanical harvesters. The following tables may contain unique terminology relative to plant growth stages or harvest methods. For example, the "milk" stage of grains indicates an early stage of growth when the contents have the consistency of milk. As they mature, the contents then pass through a "soft dough" to "hard. This document is SS-AGR-5, one of a series of the Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First printed December 992. Revised March Please visit the EDIS Web site at 2. E. B. Whitty, professor and C. G. Chambliss, associate professor, Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 326. The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean

2 Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops 2 Table. Stage of growth to graze field and forage crops. Grazing Crops When to Graze (Plant Ht In.) Grazing Crops When to Graze (Plant Ht In.) Aeschynomene 2-24 Alyceclover 6-2 Bahiagrass, Pensacola 2-6 Bermudagrass, common 2-6 Bahiagrass, Argentine 3-9 Bahiagrass, common 2-6 Bermudagrass hybrids 3-9 Bermudagrass, stargrasses 8-6 Buffelgrass 4-2 Burclovers 3-9 Caribgrass 0-30 Carpetgrass 2-6 Clover, arrowleaf 3-9 Clover, berseem 8-2 Clover, crimson 2-6, hop 2-6 Clover, Persian 3-9 Clover, red 3-9 Clover, subterranean 2-6 Clover, rose 3-9 Clover, white 3-9 Corn --- Cogongrass 4-2 Cowpea 2-24 Dallisgrass 3-9 Desmodium, carpon 3-9 Fescue, tall 2-6 Guineagrass 8-24 Indigo, hairy 5-30 Kudzu 2-24 Lespedeza, common 2-6 Lespedeza, Kobe 4-2 Lovegrass, weeping 4-8 Lupine, sweet blue 2-8 Lupine, sweet yellow 8-2 Medic, black 2-8 Molassesgrass 4-6 Napiergrass Oats 3-0 Pangolagrass 4-6 Paragrass 0-30 Pearlmillet 5-30 Peanuts, perennial 6-8 Rescuegrass 4-8 Rhodesgrass 6-2 Rye 4-0 Ryegrass 3-6 St. Augustinegrass 3-9 Sericea 6-2 Sourclover 8-6 Soybean 2-24 Sorghum-Sudangrass Stargrass 8-6 Sweetclover 0-20 Stylosanthes (stylo) 2-24 Torpedograss 2-8 Trefoil, big 2-6 Triticale 4-0 Vaseygrass 6-5 Velvetbean --- Wheat 5-0 Corn may be hogged-off any time after the grain has reached the hard dough stage. Table 2. Stage of growth or time to harvest hay crops. Hay Crops Alfalfa Alyceclover When to Mow

3 Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops 3 Table 2. Stage of growth or time to harvest hay crops. Hay Crops Cowpea Grasses, perennial Indigo, hairy Kudzu Lespedeza Oats Peanuts Peanuts, perennial Rye Sericea Wheat When to Mow When first seedpods are mature After 6" of spring growth or 4-5 weeks of regrowth Very early bloom stage May and October Bale hay after harvest of nuts Mid-June, mid-august, and fall Boot to early head When plants are 2" high When seedpods are about half filled With or without legumes. Table 3. Stage of growth to harvest silage crops. Silage Crops Alfalfa Corn Grasses, perennial Indigo, hairy Oats Pearlmillet Rye When to Cut Hard dough to early dent stage Boot to early head stage Very early bloom stage When seedheads first appear Boot to early head stage

4 Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops 4 Table 3. Stage of growth to harvest silage crops. Silage Crops Sorghum Sudangrass-sorghum hybrids Wheat When to Cut Soft to medium dough stage When seedheads first appear When seedpods are about half filled or bottom leaves turn yellow With or without legumes Table 4. Stage of growth to harvest grain and oilseed crops. Grain and Oilseed Crops Corn Peanuts Rice When to Harvest Three to four weeks after leaves turn brown Use hull-scrape method or after most of pods are filled and when inside of hulls turn dark and show dark veins. When the kernels in the lower part of the heads are in the hard dough stage Oats, rye, wheat Sorghum After the grain is ripe and quite dry and the straw has become brittle After seedheads are mature and the grain is quite dry When pods are dry and beans are hard, but before excessive shattering occurs Table 5. Stage of growth to harvest silage crops. Seed Crops Aeschynomene Alyceclover Bahiagrass Cowpeas When to Combine After most of the seed pods are dry When half the pods are brown When most of spikes are turning brown and seed can be stripped from the spikes with tightly closed finger and thumb When 60 to 75% of seedheads are dry After most of the seedpods are dry

5 Harvesting and Storage of Agronomic Crops 5 Table 5. Stage of growth to harvest silage crops. Seed Crops Hairy Indigo Lupines When to Combine After most of the seedpods are dry After seed are fully mature, but before excessive shattering occurs Table 6. Optimum moisture contents for safe storage of harvested field crop products. Product Moisture Content (%) Hay, baled 8 or below Silage, chopped 65 to 75 Grain and oilseed: Corn (shelled, in bins) Corn (in shuck, open bins) Grain sorghum Oats, rye, wheat 25 or below Peanuts 7 to 9 Rice 3 to 4 Seeds (most grasses and legumes) Tobacco 0 or below 8 or below