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| Between the Rows - Sept. 29, 2010 (Ohio, Iowa and Michigan) |
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Ohio
At Brubaker Grain in Hamilton they’re “chiseling away” at the harvest, Chad Kuhlman said. The first load of corn came in at the beginning of September.
“It hit us all at once,” Kuhlman said. “Not beans at one time and corn at another, it’s all coming in together. The corn hammered us this year. We’re way early here.”
Moisture is running about 14-15 percent although some corn is in the 20s and some is only 12 percent, Kuhlman said.
The southwestern portion of the state is in moderate to severe drought, according to Julie Reed, service hydrologist with the National Weather Service (NWS). Rainfall in the Cincinnati area is 5.8 inches below normal. Most of the rest of the state is abnormally dry.
“It is a lack of rainfall in combination with high temperatures,” Reed said. “In 2007 there were a lot a record 100-degree days but they were confined to August. We did not have any record high temperatures (this year), just consistently warm temperatures all summer long.”
As of Sept. 19, according to NASS, 72 percent of corn was mature, compared to 32 for the five-year average. Corn silage was 91 percent harvested, over the 64 for the five-year average. Eleven percent of corn for grain had been harvested, compared to just 1 for the five-year average.
Seventy-eight percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, compared to a five-year average of 59. They were 42 percent mature, 25 ahead of the five-year average. Beans harvested were reported at 11 percent, up 8 from the five-year average.
By Celeste Baumgartner
Ohio Correspondent
Iowa
The wet cool weather that continued the week of Sept. 13-19 slowed crop development after several weeks of rapidly maturing and drying, with Iowa farmers reporting concerns of crops maturing too quickly and affecting final grain weight.
“The cool and damp weather last week slowed fieldwork in much of the state,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “The crop continues to move towards maturity and harvest is expected to pick up quickly if it stops raining, and fields are able to dry out.”
Along with average lows dipping into the mid-50s, Iowa farmers witnessed several showers throughout the week, especially south-central Iowa, which received more than six inches in some locations, according to the Sept. 20 Crop & Weather report.
“While heavy rains fell in the south, most of Iowa received around an inch or less,” the report said. “Rainfall amounts were enough to create muddy field conditions and limit farmers’ activity. However, producers were able to harvest some corn and soybean acres early in the week.”
The report said nearly all of the corn acres have dented, 79 percent has reached maturity and 6 has been harvested, with ear droppage rated 84 percent none and corn condition rated 21 excellent.
The report also stated 89 percent of the soybean acres have turned color, with leaves beginning to drop in 57; the soybean condition was rated 21 percent excellent. Alfalfa’s third cutting is 95 percent complete, and all hay condition is rated 15 percent excellent, the report added.
Allison Robertson, Iowa State University crops pathologist, said as of Sept. 17 the corn was still standing, but “we just need one strong wind for it all to come tumbling down.
“This season, it will be more important than ever to get out into fields and check standability,” she said. “I would target fields that have had high leaf disease pressure. If more than 10 percent of the plants in a field lodge easily, schedule an earlier harvest.”
By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent
Michigan
Michigan’s corn and soybean crops are maturing at the same time, putting some farmers in a dilemma as to which to harvest first.
Maturity of corn, soybeans and dry beans is about two weeks ahead of last year, with silage and dry bean harvest nearly complete throughout the state.
Last week, farmers reported 75 percent of the state’s corn crop is mature and 66 percent of soybeans and 96 percent of the dry beans have dropped leaves, according to the agricultural summary from the Michigan NASS field office. Last year at this time, only 9 percent of corn was mature, and 20 percent of soybeans and 64 percent of dry beans had dropped leaves.
One farmer in the southeastern Lower Peninsula (L.P.) said, “It will be a mixed harvest this year, as operators have started to harvest earlier than normal. In one month, producers will have a hard time deciding which crop to harvest first. I have never seen this before, especially having corn ready for harvest before soybeans.”
Another producer in the east-central L.P. stated, “It was quite a sight on Sept. 15. Dry beans, soybeans, corn and sugar beets were being harvested, and wheat was being planted all on the same day. This usually does not happen.”
Nearly all of the state’s corn silage is chopped and corn harvest for grain is well under way, with 13 percent harvested, up from none this time last year.
“Corn harvest has started with some farmers reporting moistures below 20 percent,” Michigan State University extension educator Ned Birkey reported last week. “Early reports are of highly variable yields, up to 243 bushels at one National Corn Growers entry field. Anthracnose caused early die back of many fields, and now farmers are worried about stalk rots and windy weather causing lodging.
“The extremely dry August and September has resulted in lighter kernel weights and test weight.”
Soybean harvest is progressing quickly in the southern part of the state. Birkey reported approximately 75 percent of the crop is out of the fields in Monroe County.
“Moistures were down to 9 percent even two weeks ago when harvest of early-maturing varieties began,” Birkey reported. “Yields are variable, but generally lower than expected with generally small seed size.”
In other field crops, dry bean harvest is expected to wrap up throughout the state this week, and potato and sugar beet harvest continue to progress. Wheat planting is in full swing, even though it is about one week earlier than MSU Extension educators recommend.
By Shelly Strautz-Springborn
Michigan Correspondent
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| 9/30/2010 |
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