Feedback From The Field – Oct. 28, 2019
How are your crops faring this year? What are your hopes for yields? We’re asking growers about what’s really happening in their fields. Click the Feedback From The Field reporting form and give us your first-hand account on conditions and yields.
Use the interactive map below to see all this year’s reports just by clicking the flagged locations. Click the box in the upper left-land corner of the map to bring up an index of what the different colors of the markers signify and to toggle the week’s reports on and off.
Though two big storm systems moved through the growing region last week, farmers in western areas missed some of that moisture, giving them a better window for harvesting corn and soybeans. Some of those states, including Iowa, are seeing better results, which helped average yields on Feedback From The Field improve for both corn and soybeans.
Farmers reporting last week put corn at 171.5 bushels per acre with soybeans at 50.9 bpa, both well above levels reported by USDA Oct. 10. Their assessment of crop ratings also improved. Though the percentage of fields rated good to excellent declined, so those put at poor or very poor were lower even more.
“We are pleasantly surprised with yields so far,” wrote a grower from western Illinois with 200-bushel corn and 60-bushel soybeans. “Conditions were poor most of crop season. “
But even those in areas with decent yields aren’t bringing home bin-bushing crops, according to a farmer in northwest Iowa with 210-bushel corn and 51-bushel soybeans.
This producer and others are worried about the forecast for below average temperatures this week that won’t help dry down fields.
“Corn moisture at 30% on October 22,” was the report from northwest of Indianapolis, the same level seen on fields hit by frost near Peoria, Illinois.
“Lots of disease in both corn and beans from so much moisture,” added a farmer near Madison, Wisconsin. “It’s a struggle to combine either crop due to immature plants.”
“Too wet early, no in rain the month of August, half bean crop planted in late July ,” was the update from southern Missouri near the Mississippi River, home to severe flooding this spring.
“Wet spring, cool summer, and early frost nailed them!,” summed up another post from central Illinois.
Source: Bryce Knorr, Farm Futures