By DOUG SCHMITZ

Iowa Correspondent

LA FAYETTE, Ind. — The swath of unseasonably cold temperatures and above-average rainfall stretching from the Upper Midwest and down into Kentucky and Tennessee has slowed completion of this year’s harvest.

“Low temperatures and moderate precipitation continued to slow harvest progress,” said Greg Matli, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Indiana state statistician, of the week ending Nov. 11. “While rain and, in some areas, snow were slightly below-normal for the week, the cool temperatures helped keep fields saturated.

“Corn and soybean harvest progressed slowly but steadily this week, hindered by high soil moisture and lodging in some fields. Cold temperatures also slowed winter wheat progress, with winter wheat planted and emerged falling slightly behind the five-year average.”

Statewide, Illinois’ average temperature was 36.6 degrees, 7 degrees below normal, with precipitation averaging 0.8 inch – 0.08 inch above normal.

Corn harvested was 96 percent complete, according to the state’s USDA report, and soybean harvest was 94 percent complete as of Nov. 13. Sorghum harvested was at 92 percent and winter wheat planted was at 90 percent, and emerging at 74 percent.

In Iowa, the state experienced an unseasonably cold week with the statewide average temperature almost 10 degrees below normal, with portions of northern and eastern Iowa getting wetter-than-normal conditions.

“It has been a long and challenging harvest season for Iowa farmers to harvest crops and complete other fall field work,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, adding “farmers have harvested 83 percent of corn and 94 percent of soybeans.”

In Kentucky, David Knopf, the state’s USDA office director, said the state saw a second straight week of above-normal precipitation, with a state average of more than 2 inches for the period. He noted primary agricultural activities in the week ending Nov. 11 included harvesting corn and soybeans, planting wheat and stripping tobacco.

However, he said, “Continued precipitation and forecasted rainfall in the upcoming week led to delays in fieldwork without adequate time for fields to dry out. Some low-lying soybean fields have been flooded and, as a result, winter wheat planting decisions are in question in these areas due to the water level.”

In Michigan, most regions across the state experienced cold temperatures and high levels of precipitation, with some counties in the Upper Peninsula reporting up to 8 inches of snow.

“The wet weather resulted in oversaturated fields and harvest delays in most areas across the state,” said Marlo Johnson, NASS Great Lakes regional office director. “In areas that were dry enough, the corn harvest continued. The moisture content of the grain harvested was 20 percent.

“The soybean harvest nearly slowed to a complete stop due to excessive soil moisture. The estimated moisture content of the grain harvested was 16 percent. The delays in the soybean harvest have resulted in many winter wheat fields not being planted yet, and the cold weather has caused emergence issues in certain fields.”

In Ohio, continued wet conditions and cooler temperatures throughout the week kept producers out of the fields, said Cheryl Turner, NASS’ Ohio state statistician.

“Very little harvesting or other fieldwork were completed last week,” she explained. “Some corn and soybeans were harvested, despite saturated soil conditions. There were reports of muddy fields and some crop distress due to excess moisture.

“Lack of storage availability also stalled harvest. The average moisture content of corn harvested last week was 17 percent, and the average for soybeans was 15 percent.”

In Tennessee, cool, wet weather conditions slowed fieldwork and crop development, the state’s Nov. 13 crop report stated. Row crops and small grains are still being harvested at a slow pace, and small grains continue to develop gradually.

There were 2.6 days suitable for fieldwork that week, nearly a full day less than the previous week. Topsoil moisture rated 1 percent very short, 1 percent short, 56 percent adequate and 42 percent surplus.

However, Dale Mohler, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, told Farm World that dry weather over much of the Midwest last week will favor late-harvest operations.

“In fact, both the corn and soybean harvests should reach the 95 percent completed mark by the middle of (last) week,” he said in mid-November. ‘The weather later in November should feature colder weather, with precipitation near to below-normal.”