Phantom Yield Loss Corn Study

Growers often face delays in harvest due to weather or even switching crops to harvest soybeans. It is not uncommon during this moisture transition in corn to observe lower actual yield when corn harvest begins again at lower moisture grain levels. This phenomenon is referred to by many farmers as “invisible” or “phantom” yield loss. 

But why does corn yield less as grain moisture levels decrease naturally in the field? 

Here are some factors that could contribute to phantom yield losses:

• Wind Damage and/or Stalk Lodging
• Ear Rots Leading to Kernel Damage
• Insect Damage Leading to Kernel Damage
• Dry Matter Loss from Respiration
• Increased Butt Shelling at Corn Head
• Increased Fines Due to Cracked Dry Kernels

We wanted to put it to the test and determine if higher moisture grain at harvest offered higher yield and if lower grain moisture is indeed causing “phantom” yield losses. To do this, we are harvesting multiple corn hybrids at earlier and later harvest intervals of 27%, 24%, 20%, and 18% grain moisture levels using four different corn hybrids.

The highest yield came from the 27% moisture level with 254.3 Bu/A and every moisture below that suffered a yield decrease. Even though corn yield achieved the highest yield at high moisture levels of 27%, the cost of drying that high moisture corn needs to be taken into account for economics.

When we factor in the cost of using a commercial local grain elevator, we found that 24% moisture corn achieved the highest overall net return for all four hybrids.

This was just the first year of this study but we look forward to continuing to evaluate phantom yield loss more in the future. We anticipate that growing degree days and overall general weather conditions may impact yield response. As a multi-year study going forward, we hope to glean more knowledge from this agronomic study!

Study Details 

Study data collected 2023 at the PTI Farm in Pontiac, IL.