PEORIA, Ill. — October rains continued to delay harvest progress throughout much of Illinois until finally abating last weekend in many areas of the state. Only 35 percent of the corn crop had been harvested as of Oct. 12, compared with the five-year average of 54 percent.
These numbers mirrored the national corn harvest of just 24 percent complete, substantially less than the five-year average of 43 percent. For soybeans, the Illinois harvest was just 29 percent complete, compared to the five-year average of 52 percent. Nationally, the soybean harvest was 40 percent complete, down 13 percent from the five-year average, according to USDA crop progress reports.
In central Illinois, heavy precipitation dumped as much as 4 inches of rain in many gauges on Oct. 13-14, stranding most farmers indoors. The countryside was again dotted with farmers and heavy machinery harvesting crops through the weekend, however, following a quick late-week dry-out aided by consistent winds.
"Farmers are beginning to get back into the fields although the soil conditions are still fairly wet," said Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau. He noted machinery began to reappear in fields last Friday, and predicted it would be out in full force this week. "With (this) week’s forecast looking sunny, we should make a lot of progress with the harvest," said Kirchhofer, adding Peoria County’s corn was around 30 percent harvested and soybeans 40 were percent complete before the rains lifted late last week.
In Woodford County, the weather delayed harvest activities but caused no major disruptions to farmers, according to Farm Bureau Manager Jolene Neuhauser. "A lot of work was resumed by late Friday and Saturday," she said. "How much progress has been made is dependent on the size of the farm and percentage of corn and beans planted.
"There are still quite a bit of soybeans that need to be harvested. There is some tillage being done on corn ground, which is always a good sign."
There should be a major increase in the percentage of harvested acres across Illinois this week through early November, according to local forecasts and the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the winter, issued Oct. 17.
For Illinois, November temperatures have equal chances (EC) of above, below and near-average temperatures. In addition, November precipitation is rated an EC, save the northeastern quarter of the state, where an increased chance of below-average precipitation is forecast.
"The category of EC is a little hard to interpret," blogged Jim Angel, Illinois state climatologist, on the Climate Illinois WordPress blog. "Basically, it means that there are no consistent indications that conditions could be too warm/cold/wet/dry. Sometimes I call it a neutral forecast."
Cold and rainy conditions have also slowed harvests in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, where less than 10 percent of the corn harvest was complete by mid-October, according to the USDA. Some Illinois and Midwest farmers are reporting record yields where corn has been harvested, leading many ag economists to predict that December corn futures will likely not break the $3.50 mark.
"I haven’t heard any specific yield reports," Neuhauser said of the Woodford County corn harvest. "The two words I’ve heard are ‘varied’ and ‘scattered,’ so I think that gives you an idea."
