An ear of corn that fails to droop holds a lot of water in a wet fall and can breed some notable late season problems.

Corn ears normally remain erect until black layer but shorter ear shank lengths, desirable as a corn borer defence prior to Bt traits, have increased duration for some hybrids. Although agronomists contend that the effects of upright ears on fungal infections may not be as pronounced as farmers think, the November 2 cropline report advised that mould issues may be more prevalent than earlier vomitoxin survey reports suggested. Experts are also watching for sprouting grain quality issues, recommending that farmers segregate the worst fields and market them accordingly.

But just because a hybrid had upright ears this year, doesn’t necessarily mean it will again next year, so farmer’s shouldn’t cancel seed orders unless yield results start to weigh in.