Midwest Harvest Report: Yields From Zero to 240

Our guest blogger this week is Kevin Knapp, Case IH Combine Product Specialist serving northern Illinois, northern Indiana, northwest Ohio, and all of Wisconsin and Michigan. Read what he has to say, and tell us about harvest conditions in your area. 

Some of my most southern customers and dealers are just now wrapping up with harvest, while others are just getting started in the north. In terms of yield, it’s anybody’s guess what’s going to be out there until the combine actually gets in the field. I’ve been in fields where yields have ranged from zero to 240 bu/acre in just one pass! There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of explanation for it. This has been a very unusual year.

Kevin Knapp, Case IH Combine Product Specialist

Farmers are just beginning the harvest in northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The dry edible bean harvest has been progressing well in Michigan, and farmers in the northern part of Wisconsin have a good start on corn. Wisconsin had better rains than a lot of areas and customers around Menominee, Wis., feel their corn yields are going to be some of the best in the nation.

The Case IH Axial-Flow® combines are definitely showing their advantages this year. Compared to the competition, we have more ability to fine-tune our machines for given crops and conditions. For instance, with lower-yielding crops, we’re able to slow down how quickly the crop goes through the threshing system by adjusting our cage vanes (read Terry Snack’s Harvest Report to learn more about these tips). We also can vary the types of rasp bars on the rotor to thresh and separate the material more efficiently to ensure we’re getting the highest quality grain in the tank with the least amount of grain on the ground. I’ll tell you more about this in a follow-up blog post.

The Axial-Flow combine line represents simplicity and reliability with the fewest drive components and longest service intervals in the industry.

Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for Kevin’s follow-up posts on rasp bars, AFS, and what customers like best about their Axial-Flow combines. Knapp grew up on a farm “that uses all Red equipment” near Henry, Ill., and likes the diversity of what he deals with on a daily basis.