Effects of Simulated Hail Damage On the Yield of Forage Maize

Hail damage was simulated with defoliation, leaf tearing and damage to ears and stems, applied at five stages and three levels of intensity on forage maize grown in Belgium. Leaf tearing alone had little effect on total dry matter yield. Decrease of yield was the highest when treatments were applied around tasseling-anthesis. Effects on total dry matter content were small