POSTAL CUSTOMER
Volume IV, Issue 11
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit #36 OMAHA, NE
November 2009
Carefully consider the use of any tillage by Emma Struve In the last weeks of October most of the state received inches of rain, which further delayed the already slow harvest. According to the most recent USDA crop and weather report the corn harvest is 19 days behind the five year average with only about 12 percent of the crop out of the field, and the soybean harvest is three weeks behind the five year average at 47 percent complete. Iowa State University Extension agronomists shared observations and strategies from the areas they cover by responding to an e-mail survey by Iowa Farm & Ranch. This month’s contributors: • George Cummins from Charles City who covers Winnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Grundy, and Black Hawk counties
• Mark Wuebker from Altoona who covers Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Madison, Warren, and Marion counties • Joel DeJong from LeMars who covers Lyon, Osceola, Sioux, O'Brien, Plymouth, Cherokee, and Woodbury counties • Mark Licht from Carroll who covers Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Monona, Crawford, Carroll, and Greene counties
Q What strategies have producers in your area been using to combat inclement weather? A George Cummins: Most have been patient, waiting for the harvest conditions to be fit. They have opened up fields, make sure harvesting, handling and drying equipment was ready and identified fields closest to optimum harvest moistures. Farmers will harvest soybeans as soon as soil conditions permit, even if they have to artifi-
cially dry. If snow accumulation stops soybean harvest until spring, significant harvest losses will occur. Mark Wuebker: The calendar date pretty much says it all; time is limited so get to it. We know there will be compaction issues, we know the grain is wet and no one likes to harvest in cold, wet and muddy conditions, but slow and steady is the only way to do it now. Joel DeJong: Patience, mostly. Also, more producers are drying soybeans than they have in a really long time. Mark Licht: Most have switched to the corn head in an attempt to continue with harvest and will switch back to the soybean platform when the beans dry up and become suitable to harvest.
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