PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA, NE PERMIT NO. 36
Section
A
Volume VIII, Issue 11
NOVEMBER 2014
The bean harvest is nearly completed and farmers are rapidly harvesting corn in western Iowa. Pictured, a western Iowa farmer works to complete his soybean harvest.
Photo by Bruce A. Binning
Late harvest winding down Wide range of yields reported
by Gordon Wolf Favorable weather allowed farmers throughout the state to harvest one-quarter of Iowa’s corn crop during the week that ended on November 2, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS reported 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker with the Iowa Department of Agriculture reported that the state enjoyed its driest week in nearly two years. NASS reported that 61 percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested, four days behind 2013 and 10 days behind the five-year average. The soybean harvest reached 91 percent complete, three days behind last year but a
day ahead of normal. It marked the first time this season that the soybean harvest was ahead of average.
Central Iowa
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Field Agronomist Mark Johnson said crop production was behind all through harvest in the area he serves, but now nearly all the soybeans have been harvested and farmers are
quickly harvesting the corn. Johnson serves Boone, Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story, Tama and Warren counties. “Yields have been all over the board,” said Johnson. “Beans (have been) in the 20s to high 70s, with much of them in the upper 50s to mid 60s, and corn from 129 to 260-plus, with much of them in the 200 to 210 range.” He said the ground remained wet, so equipment made many ruts in the fields. “The corn will not dry much more now,” he said, “so drying is still required after harvest.” Johnson added it is getting late in the season for fall soil sampling and fall-applied fertilizer. He said farmers will be able to apply anhydrous ammonia this fall. “In most cases, the soybeans were harvested before the four-inch temperatures got down to 50 degrees, and we are starting to see application,” Johnson said. CROPS, Page 2A