Corn plants surprise and amaze even the experts in their ability to bounce back from severe drought . If there is any green left to the plant at all, waiting is almost always better than taking it early. I want to harvest now when there is enough moisture to get proper ensiling . Plants with dead, or dying, dry leaves will often surprise everyone in the amount of moisture present. The best bet here is to cut some plants, chop them up, and run them through a Koster tester to determine their moisture content.
Stalks can hold a stunning amount of water.
Proper ensiling conditions . If ear formation is poor and plants are under lots of stress, sugar levels can be low. Wetter plants use up more sugar during ensiling. Cut, chop and moisture test plants from individual fields to determine the best time for harvesting. Inoculants will be critical for providing bacteria to get a good, efficient fermentation.