Crop Watcher 10/16/09

Todd Easton Coles County October 16 2009: A couple more mistimed rain showers came into the area this week slowing harvest progress once again. We received over an inch in most areas on top of already muddy fields making a bad situation worse. Soybean harvesting has progressed to over a third done in most parts of the county with yields still in the 50’s and 60’s for the most part. Corn harvest has been curtailed by most everyone concentrating on soybean harvest but should pick up over the weekend with beans being too wet to cut for a few days. I finally took the end rows off of some of my Memorial Day weekend planted corn Thursday afternoon and the moisture was a little higher than I was hoping at 26% but that may be what we harvest a lot of the corn at the way this year is going. Yield on the end rows was 192 bushels dry which surprised me after seeing so much compaction damage about everywhere the planter turned around. For those of you who have not been out in the corn yet brace yourselves the compaction damage in the end rows is pretty ugly in places.

Todd Easton Coles County October 9 2009: This harvest is starting out exactly how we did not want it to. Rain showers have been making the bean cutting stop and go for producers and raising worries on how this fall will unfold. Yield reports for beans are coming in at around 50 bushels in the southern part of the county to 60 or above toward the northern part. No fresh news on corn yields as almost everyone is still waiting on the crop to dry out enough to harvest and have been concentrating on bean harvest so far. The Thursday rain storms have almost given us 2” so far which will probably stop any progress until next week.

Crop Watcher 10/02/09

Todd Easton Coles County October 2 2009: The waiting game lingers on here in Coles County as corn and soybean crops seem to be approaching harvestability very slowly. Farmers quickly ran out of April planted corn to harvest if they even had any and still found it to be over 20 percent moisture over the last week in September. Abnormally high amounts of damage (10%-20%) from disease made for an ugly surprise for most producers who had the early corn. May planted corn is far from ready for harvest as I could not help but try some of my May 11 corn and found it to be a very wet 34% and the later May early June fields look much worse. As for the soybeans ripe fields seem to be few and far apart so far farmers are cutting them as fast as they become ready. Yields for the beans are so far in the 50’s and 60’s much better than many were thinking they would be but I will be surprised if the later beans can sustain these levels. Until next week all we can do is have patience and clear our November calendars.

Cropwatcher 09-25-09

Todd Easton Coles County September 25 2009: Harvest in Coles County has finally started this week. A handful of combines have been in selected areas harvesting the April planted corn and earliest soybeans. A survey of several producers has pinned the early corn harvested in a range spanning ten bushel above or below the 200 bushel mark and the moisture has been between 20 to 25 percent. The rest of the corn should achieve harvestable maturity this week will need at least another week to reach more desirable harvest moistures. The majority of the soybeans are starting to shed leaves and should be ready in a week or two. As we get this harvest started be careful on the roads as traffic gets reacquainted to combines and implements on the roads.

Cropwatcher 09/18/09

Todd Easton Coles County September 18 2009: Crops here in Coles County are steadily coming to maturity aided by the recent heat and lack of rain fall. Our growing degree days for late may planted corn are approaching 2500 units which puts the majority of the area corn crop at physiological maturity in less than two weeks. Soybeans are turning rapidly because the hot and dry conditions. We have yet to get the late rain I was hoping the beans would get but there is a chance for some this weekend but it may be too late to do very much good. By this time next week I’m sure there will be a scarce combine or two running with many more following the next week. I can hardly wait for the combine monitors and truck scales to tell us how our crops dealt with such a uniquely challenging year and what we can learn from it.

Cropwatcher 09-11-09

First things first TO ALL THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES OF SEPTEMBER 11 2001 WE HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT EVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED THAT FATEFUL DAY GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Here is a picture of the south place from the north place wish the corn was more even compaction really got us this spring.

Todd Easton Coles County September 11 2009: Finally some warmth this week bringing us another 150 growing degree days putting the total 2350 for late May planted corn but we are still 150 units behind normal. The few acres of late April planted corn looks like it could be harvested but I’m sure those growers will let some natural drying occur before they start picking. The rest of our corn is showing quite a bit of visual improvement but is still more than two weeks from physiological maturity. The early third of area soybeans are finally starting to turn yellow which should mean a couple more weeks before cutting begins while the later beans are still very green and really need an extended growing season. All but the earliest beans could use a rain very soon to ensure good pod fill but nothing seems to be in the forecast so we are hoping for a surprise.

Cropwatcher 08-28-09 Bring on the heat

Todd Easton Coles County August 28 2009: Another week past and how many left to go? With the Markets in their usual late August doldrums it seems all the local talk has shifted to when will the corn be dry or at least dry enough to harvest. After a really good reader suggestion to mention our growing degree day situation and a bit of researching I estimate the majority of the late May planted corn in our county has accumulated just under 2100 heat units and if it was an average 110 hybrid it will need an additional 600 units to mature. Based on average weather patterns that should mean about a month to go before it reaches physiological maturity and if you want to take it to the elevator dry it will be even longer. Soybeans on the other hand base themselves on day length and very well could be out of the fields by the time the corn is even ready. While that would be good for our harvest schedule I hope it also does not bring too much of a yield penalty due to the late planting season but we may be already seeing that with some producers saying pod counts are down 15 percent from last year. Until next week keep up the heat but don’t forget the rain.