Harvest is well underway in many parts of the country. Favorable — and in some areas, overly dry — conditions have helped keep combines rolling and grain flowing this fall.
Today we welcome guest bloggers Ryan Lepp and Brandon Potts, Case IH cash crop specialists, who share harvest observations from the south-central United States and the western Corn Belt.
Ryan Lepp supports Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
In eastern Iowa and eastern Nebraska, soybean harvest has just begun during the last week or so. Sunshine and beautiful weather have helped it accelerate quickly. Customers have been very pleased with the soybean yields they have been seeing, which has been around 60 bushels per acre.[Tweet “Harvest is well underway in many parts of the country. Via @Case_IH #BeReady “]
Some customers also have reported that the bean stalks are still green and damp, but that the soybeans are dry. Pulling through those tough conditions requires plenty of power. Our Axial-Flow® series combines with Tier 4 B/Final Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology have proven to be up to the test and are performing very well.
A few customers have poked into some corn, but not much has been harvested yet. With beautiful weather in the forecast, we will see more corn being taken out. Customers who have harvested some corn are pleased with the yields. Many report seeing 200 or more bushels per acre.
Wisconsin has had some heavy rains in the past month which has slowed harvest a bit. Most farmers are just getting a good start on soybeans. A few customers also have begun corn harvest. But with beautiful weather in the forecast, harvest will accelerate quickly.
A bit farther south in my territory — Missouri and eastern Kansas — corn harvest is about 75 percent complete. It will be another two to three weeks before soybean harvest gets into full swing in those states.
Brandon Potts supports Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
It has been very dry, and there’s no rain in the forecast. Those conditions have helped harvest go very smoothly and swiftly. All the corn is out in much of the South, except for areas in Texas and Oklahoma, where farmers continue working on corn and soybeans.
In most places, crop yields are down 20 percent compared with last year. Few farms have seen a yield increase over last year. Too much spring and early summer rain stunted this year’s crop. Favorable conditions have helped keep equipment running well. Here’s what I’m seeing in the states I cover:
Louisiana: The first crop of rice is complete, and 90 percent of the soybeans also are harvested. South Louisiana will start harvesting the second crop of rice in early November.
Mississippi: Rice harvest is wrapping up and should be complete this week. Soybean harvest is in full swing, and as dry as the weather has been, it will wrap up in a few weeks.
Arkansas: Rice harvest is coming to an end. It should finish within the next week or so. Soybeans are moving right along as well. They should wrap up by the end of the month.
No matter what stage you are at in your harvest season, be sure to stay safe out there!
In Western KY, most beans are out of the field except for double drop & most corn with real good yields, is needed badly!