3 Cool Things to Know About Grain Production During the Spring

Grain production during the spring is typically the highest it will be all year, as many grains typically increase in production as they enjoy a longer growing season. This also means there are more plagues and challenges to grain production at this time than at any other time of year. By understanding how grain is produced and where it gets ahead of schedule, you can make better production management plans and head off potential problems before they happen. This article will go over three cool things you should know about grain production during the spring.

1. Grains Typically Produce More at This Time Because They Have a Longer Growing Season

One of the primary reasons grains produce more in the spring is that they have a longer growing season. During this time, most crops will experience the longest daylight hours they will experience all year. This extended daylight allows them to put more energy into growing than at any other time of year.

For this reason, spring is one of the most challenging times to manage a grain field because you are working against the grain. The longer day length and a warmer climate will cause grains to grow faster and reach maturity earlier than you had expected. This means you must be on top of your game because spring management can significantly impact how much grain a field produces during a given year.

2. Corn Has a Bull’s Eye of Maturity During the Spring

Because grains produce more during the spring, they also reach maturity at different times during this time of year. Typically, grains will get ahead of themselves, mature too early, and fail to produce their optimum amount. Because of this, there is often a bull’s eye for each grain with an ideal maturity date. A good example is corn which has two optimal maturities: dent stage and harvest stage. The dent stage is the point when the ear has reached the midpoint of the ear. The harvest stage occurs anytime from 85 percent to 100 percent of the kernels have matured. You can use this information to help you manage your fields for maximum production and stay caught up due to a crop getting ahead of itself.

3. Processors Will Pay More for Early Maturity

A third cool thing you should know about grain production is that processors typically pay more for early maturity. Most of the time, you will find that a grain’s optimal maturity range is determined by the market in which it is sold. For instance, you may find that wheat used for wheat flour must be fully mature at harvest. However, those who are growing wheat for use as wheat gluten will pay more for early maturity. They will do this because the quicker a grain matures, the quicker it can get processed. In some cases, it could be worth more to a producer to harvest early rather than late due to the higher prices that they receive. Grains that are used for food typically produce at a faster rate during the spring than at any other time of year.

One of the most important things that you will be able to do is to work against the grain. This means you need to learn everything you can about the specific grain you are managing and then use this information to make daily production management decisions during spring. When you do this, it will be possible to drastically boost grain production while reducing problems due to early maturity or poor pollination.