Forage harvesters that cut and chopped the corn plant in the field and conveyed the chopped corn to a wagon have been developed since the 1920's but were really not successful or generally adopted until the 1950's because farm tractors lacked the power train to drive pickers successfully. Independent power take-off only became a standard feature of farm tractor design after it was introduced to the market on the Canadian made Cockshutt "30" in 1948.

A tractor with an independent power take-off was much more convenient for driving a forage harvester since it could supply power continuously to a harvester even when the forward motion of the tractor was stopped. Today power unloading forage wagons, some models of which are self-propelled, carry the chopped corn from the field to the silo. High capacity silage blowers that can elevate chopped corn over 100 ft. vertically are used to fill silos. Silos up to 30 ft. in diameter and 100 ft. high are common on large dairy farms and steer feedlots where corn silage is fed.

Silage blower, circa 1930

Electrically powered silo unloaders are used to unload tower silos, and feed distributors transport silage right to the manger.

In the past corn was a labour intensive crop. Today in contrast, corn culture is highly mechanized.