Green Snap Effects On Yield in the Eastern Corn Belt.

Mid-season stalk breakage (greensnap), which occurs in corn as a result of severe thunderstorms and high winds, has become more common in Ohio. Widespread wind damage in late June 2012 and mid-July 2013 provided an opportunity to assess greensnap in existing corn hybrid performance trials and in studies comparing hybrid response to varying plant populations. Data were collected to evaluate effects of stalk breakage on grain yields of different hybrids and the relationship between yield loss and stalk breakage. The growth stage of plants affected in 2012 ranged from V12 to V14 and greensnap occurred at nodes near or at the base of the plant. Stalk breakage, averaged across 160 hybrid entries in the 2012 Ohio Corn Performance Test at S. Charleston, Upper Sandusky, and Van Wert, Ohio ranged from 0-44%, 0-35%, and 0-21%, respectively. No hybrid x plant population interaction for greensnap was present in an evaluation of  25 hybrids planted at five populations ranging from 44,000 to 123,000 plants/ha at S. Charleston in 2012. Greensnap was not affected by plant population but stalk breakage of hybrids, averaged across plant population, ranged from 1 to 42%. Grain yield, averaged across 2012 studies, was reduced 0.06 to 0.09 Mg/ha for every 1% increase in greensnap. Planting hybrids that are less susceptible to greensnap is the most effective way to limit yield losses.