Caledonia Argus

Good season for corn, soybean harvests

Posted: 10/8/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

Despite inclement weather this past spring, the 2002 harvest season is going well for most area farmers, according to Regional Extension Educator Bill Halfman. Corn and soybean yields have been comparatively high, and insects and disease have had only a minimal effect on yields.

ìThings have straightened out pretty well and yields this year have been typically pretty good,î Halfman said. ìThere were a couple of stretches where things got dry in the spring, but the finer-textured soils pulled through in good shape.î

Farmers have been harvesting high moisture corn (28-30%) for livestock feed. Shelled corn will start to be combined, Halfman said, once most of the soybeans have been harvested. Though there has been a fair amount of corn rootworm, as well as the presence of European corn borer, Halfman noted that ìyields are still running pretty good.î

Soybean harvesters have fared well this season, though efforts have been ìhalted until it dries up,î he noted, since rainy weather in the past few weeks has rendered fields too wet to harvest. When the fields dry up, which Halfman estimates should happen sometime this week, the harvest will resume at that time.

The soybean leaves began to drop the second week of September, which, according to Halfman, ìis right about on pace.î Many fields have yielded between 50-60 bushels per acre, and a few fields have even yielded upwards of 60 bushels per acre.

ìCompared to last year, itís been really good,î Halfman said. ìThe soy yields are pretty much on par with what we got in 1998 and 1999.î

Diseases have had little effect, if any, on soybean yields. Some area farmers have noticed small amounts of white mold, and some fields have had brown stem rot and powdery mildew, but yields have remained relatively high despite these. Insects have also posed little threat to soy crops this year. Though some harvesters have noted the presence of bean leaf beetles and soybean aphids, there impact on yields has been negligible.

ìLast year we were overrun with soybean aphids,î Halfman said. ìA few fields have been sprayed this year, but itís been nothing compared to last year.î

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