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What is Stalk Quality?

Stalk quality is the ability of the plant to stand intact through harvest after grain fill is completed, and the plant is dead. Hybrids with thick rinds usually have excellent stalk quality. It is not the diameter of the stalk, but the thickness of the outer cell wall that provides resistance to lodging. These cells are made of lignin, which provides the rigidity that keeps the plant upright. Lignin is, however, very low in feed quality because it is low in the animals ability to digest it, therefore hybrids with thick cell walls are not desirable for silage. Hybrids that have good stay green, that is, hybrids that have the ability to stay green and alive until after grain fill is completed, continue producing nutrients that are sent to the pith, or inner tissue of the stalk, to help support the rind, and assist with lodging resistance.