By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Despite July 11 derecho winds, recent Missouri River flooding, two record-high heat waves and a short planting season, Iowa farmers are expected to reap a bountiful corn harvest this year, according to the state’s agriculture experts.

“I believe we will see a normal harvest with the normal pressure of harvest,” said Tom Leiting, general manager and CEO of River Valley Cooperative in Davenport. “We may see an incentive for early corn harvest before beans if processor demand calls for it, and this could spread out the corn harvest pressure.”

Nearly two months ago, derecho winds and severe thunderstorms carved a destructive path through central, eastern and northeastern Iowa, on into northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, toppling trees, leveling buildings, destroying livestock and minimally green-snapping corn.
In its aftermath, which affected an estimated 100,000 acres of Iowa cropland, the cornstalks have goose-necked while the corn itself has at least partially straightened back up, said Jim Fawcett, Iowa State University extension field agronomist.

“The yield loss could have been 70 to 100 percent with green snap,” he said. “It will take twice as long to harvest the downed corn, though, and harvest losses will be higher.”

Virgil Schmitt, ISU extension field agronomist, said most farmers he’s talked to have been amazed at how quickly the corn “righted itself.”

“I think they are conservatively optimistic about the yield and trying to find reels for their corn heads to aid with harvest,” he added.

In the areas hit hardest by the winds, Fawcett said some farmers are already looking at purchasing these reels to try to “reduce harvest losses and speed up the harvest.

“New grain bins are also going up, which will need to continue as corn yields continue to increase,” he said. “It is getting to be common for larger farms to own their own semis so they are more in control of any transportation issues.”
That should also be reassuring to other Midwest farmers who may be wondering if they’ll have enough storage for their corn, as well as adequate transportation for hauling and plenty of propane on hand for drying.

“There always seems to be a crunch at harvest, but with the equipment and technology now available, I haven’t heard of any specific concerns about folks being unable to store, transport or dry grain this year,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, a fourth-generation farmer who grows corn and soybeans near Spirit Lake.

But while July’s storm caused some grain storage damage in Marshall, Tama and Benton counties, Iowa’s top grain elevator official said grain handlers haven’t shared any particular worries with him so far about harvest.

“I believe the storage capabilities of the grain warehouses will generally be adequate for this year’s harvest,” said Richard Wahl, grain warehouse bureau chief at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS).
For farmers who lack storage, transportation and propane, Clarke McGrath, field manager for ISU’s Corn and Soybean Initiative, said harvest could be more difficult. “If growers don’t have these systems in place, they need to quickly have a heart-to-heart with their local elevators,” he said, “so at the very least, the elevators have some time to prepare for increased demand for their services.”

Because this summer’s record heat has caused the corn to advance more rapidly than normal, however, Fawcett added it should help reduce propane demand. This is why Greg Brenneman, ISU extension agricultural engineering field specialist, said farmers should allow as much drying in the field as possible.
“Make sure bins are cleaned out and dryers are serviced so they can get maximum efficiency from their equipment,” he said. “See if they can get (propane) booked for this fall. Make sure combines and grain-handling equipment are in good condition. Look at other grain storage alternatives (such as) machine sheds, silos and commercial storage if lacking on farm bins.”

But the biggest variable for Bob Swindell, general manager and CEO of Access Energy Cooperative in Mount Pleasant, will be how wet the corn is at harvest. He said if the weather patterns stay the same as they were in mid-summer before the swath of severe weather hit, the corn will dry in the fields.

“That said, propane inventories are running at the low end of the five-year average so far this year and the buildup in inventories is a concern. Prices are about 40 percent higher today than a year ago, mainly due to the low inventories of propane,” he said. “If there is a large demand for crop drying, I expect prices to increase.”