Stalk choppers on combines used to be secondary to threshing and separating grain. But Bt cornstalks and improved small grain genetics, combined with reduced or no-till practices, have turned ...

-- Optional stalk chopper: The blades do not chop the stalk until the ear is removed, which helps reduce shelling loss. Watch as Bollig describes the corn head: ...

A 12-row head (green, red or yellow) runs to $78,000. That goes up to $100,000 if you throw in the optional stalk choppers. "Normally, a chopping corn head takes a lot of horsepower," Peterson says.

Farm briefsAny Fond du Lac County resident or crop professional is welcome to bring stalk samples for testing on any of the above dates. Bring four stalks per field (cut at chopper height) and ...