# Why would a corn field be cut 3-4 ft high? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619 "2025-08-30T23:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/21 "2025-09-01T17:59:40Z")
Here are some pictures. I hope its good enough to explain what I’m seeing [[Album] corn plants top cut off ![](https://i.imgur.com/gk5zzB1.jpeg?fb "corn plants top cut off") ](https://imgur.com/a/B6FrEaC) ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/22 "2025-09-01T18:00:18Z")
I’ve got pictures [[Album] corn plants top cut off ![](https://i.imgur.com/gk5zzB1.jpeg?fb "corn plants top cut off") ](https://imgur.com/a/B6FrEaC) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/23 "2025-09-01T18:09:44Z")
I got nuthin from looking at that picture. Compare that field to the picture labelled ‘Figure 1’ in this [link](https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/reduced-stature-corn.html). Comparable or no? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/24 "2025-09-01T18:14:16Z")
Those ‘reduced stature’ plants in the picture look like they have their tops still on. I suppose its too late to mention that I’ve seen the fields before and after this was done. But it was unnoticeable until late summer. I’ve driven by the fields before and believe I would have noticed their unusually short stature while they were actively growing, if they were the dwarf variety. THe fact that I didn’t notice them, leads me to believe they were not short during the growing season and just ‘became’ short in early/mid/late August. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/25 "2025-09-01T18:25:45Z")
Maybe the farmer has some unusually short elephants in his barn (so their eyes are lower to the ground, y’see, and…DAMMIT, JUST PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN!). ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/26 "2025-09-01T18:26:12Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > leads me to believe they were not short during the growing season and just ‘became’ short in early/mid/late August. Then it was almost surely done by a detassler machine (or similar) described upthread. The reason, as you note, remains unclear. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/27 "2025-09-01T18:29:02Z")
Some background. Corn prices are in the dumpster and this year’s crop is huge … which won’t help. Perhaps the early partial harvest took advantage of ‘slightly’ higher prices? Might be something to the ‘dry the corn out more to save on silage costs, reduce spoilage’ idea mentioned above by HoneyBadger in a year where profit will be zip. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/28 "2025-09-01T18:41:36Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > early partial harvest I just don’t think this is possible. A combine or silage chopper rumbling through the field will destroy a good portion of the stalks. Those machines have huge tires. Compare that to the detassler mentioned above, which has ‘skinny’ tires that fit nicely between the rows of corn. And silage is chopped when the corn is green, when the leaves and stalks are full of nutrients. I will ask my farmer friends if they have any thoughts on shaving the corn plants prior to harvest. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/29 "2025-09-01T21:22:41Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Maybe the farmer has some unusually short elephants in his barn [ahem.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/18) Let’s hope at least that the farmer and the cowman are friends. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/30 "2025-09-02T21:36:30Z")
I had a conversation with a farmer. He first said, thats done for sweet corn, to leave the top 2 feet during harvest of the ears. But then I told him its more like 3 ft and the ears are still there. He said…huh? …I don’t know… ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/31 "2025-09-03T10:31:23Z")
With so many people saying they don’t know who should know, I have to wonder if it was a mistake or one-off thing. Do you know these are owned by different people? I’m just picturing, say, the guy is supposed to leave the top 2 feet but they messed up and left too much, or something like that. We always want to assume someone has a good reason for what they do, but maybe they don’t. If it’s all different people doing it, then that idea doesn’t hold water, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/32 "2025-09-03T11:47:14Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > to leave the top 2 feet during harvest of the ears. This city boy has no idea what is going on with that field, but this I don’t understand. They aren’t LEAVING the TOP 2 (or 3) feet. They are REMOVING the TOP 2-3’, and leaving the BOTTOM 2-3’. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/33 "2025-09-03T12:35:23Z")
OK, we’ve established that the field was ‘shaved’ after growing season, probably in mid-August. This would also be after pollination has taken place, so the reason was not to remove the tassels from the plants. I think it was done by the farmer, using a detassler, to remove the top portion of the stalk to make it easier to harvest. Four feet of stalk going through the combine versus 6-8 feet of stalk would mean less horsepower is needed during the process. But, just a WAG on my part. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/34 "2025-09-03T13:06:42Z")
First, yes I misspoke,….they are LEAVING the bottom part of the plant. Second. There are two fields near each other but not adjacent. They are about 5 miles apart. AND this isn’t the first time I saw this. I saw two other fields about 4 years ago with this done in mid August. Those fields from 4 years ago, were about 45 miles from these fields. I expect they are different farmers WHen I first saw it, I thought it was a fluke, but this time….I’m intrigued ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/35 "2025-09-03T13:07:10Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > But the corn fields I’ve been seeing have the ears still there. I don’t see any ears in your pictures – just leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/36 "2025-09-03T13:08:36Z")
Zoom in and look more closely. They are there. The ears are the more green looking things. On several of them, you can clearly see the ears. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/37 "2025-09-04T03:31:37Z")
The farmers get a better price with a lower moisture content. Maybe allowing more sun in dries them faster ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/38 "2025-09-04T09:30:58Z")
That was my WAG, too… speedier drying. Sometimes we get so much rain around here that the farmers have to pull the corn in _December_, which really sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/39 "2025-09-04T12:40:14Z")
I’ve got a lot of feelers out there and nothing is showing up definite. Here’s a summary of what I’ve heard. 1. Its to control pollination of seed corn…..the corn was cut earlier and it just looks shorter now as its drying. (I maintain that this is not correct) 2. Its specifically for drying the corn faster 3. Its dwarf corn and never was tall in the first place (I also don’t think this is correct) 4. This field is heavily contaminated with southern rust fungus, so its something about that 5. Its “high cut” where the farmer intentionally leaves taller stalks and cuts earlier for better nutrition silage, and leaves high nitrate lower stalks in the field. (High cut typically leaves 7-19 inches of stalk, while collecting the grain too, so this doesn’t sound exactly correct) 6. My own personal theory I’m working with…..Its a seed corn field and the farmer has to remove the pollinating rows to avoid genetic contamination in the hybrid corn. So while he is removing these rows anyway, he takes the top half of the other rows all for high quality silage. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619/40 "2025-09-04T13:37:16Z")
Speaking as a guy who worked for two seasons on a silage chopping operation, I can tell you that the top half of the corn plant was NOT removed and harvested for silage. A silage chopper cuts and chops the entire plant, and the silage is captured by a truck or wagon being driven alongside the chopper. There is zero evidence that these types of machines were used in this field, as all the corn appears undisturbed by machinery. Also, a corn plant must be pollinated to produce an ear of corn. Since there are ears on the corn plants in this field, pollination must have taken place. And since there are no rows of uncut corn (as has been described upthread for selective pollination), I believe that we can assume that the removal of the tops of these plants took place after pollination. You stated that it happened fairly recently, so that would also indicate a post-pollination process. Your theories #2 and #4 would make the most sense. But the question remains: how was this done? IMO, it would almost certainly have to be done by a detassling machine, which was also described upthread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-corn-field-be-cut-3-4-ft-high/1022619.md?page=3)