By Dan Grant/farmweeknow.com
Weather conditions finally matched up a little better with the calendar as a cold front settled in last week.
And despite some spotty showers that caused scattered fieldwork delays, harvest activity cranked up in many areas of the state.
“Weather conditions look pretty good now,” Jim Angel, state climatologist with the Illinois State Water Survey, told the RFD Radio Network® last week. “We kind of broke that summer-like pattern. Now we’re into more fall-like conditions.”
Brian Schaumburg, a FarmWeek CropWatcher from Chenoa (McLean County), reported corn harvest neared the midway point in his area prior to last weekend.
“Yields continue to be near records,” Schaumburg said of his corn crop. “Beans are being cut between spotty rain showers. (Yields) are very impressive.”
Corn harvest was close to one-quarter complete (24 percent) in the state as of the first of last week, which was on pace with the five-year average.
Meanwhile, soybean harvest was 6 percent complete as of last week, 3 points behind the average pace.
Nationwide, harvest as of last week was 15 percent complete for corn (4 percent behind average) and 10 percent complete for soybeans (3 percent behind average).
“Corn harvest in our immediate area is just getting going,” David Schaal, a CropWatcher from St. Peter (Fayette County), said last week during a rain delay. “We didn’t get a lot of corn planted around here until mid or late May. It (the moisture level) is just now getting down to where people are starting to hit it.”
Schaal reported the majority of cornfields in his area are in the 16.5 to 19 percent moisture range, while Schaumburg reported similar findings at 15 to 20 percent moisture.
Both farmers reported quality yields thus far.
“As far as the yield, we’ve been pleased with it so far,” Schaal said. “It’s probably a little better than we expected.”
Many farmers likely will continue to focus on corn harvest to kick off this month to avoid worsening stalk quality and/or ear rot issues, Schaal noted.
“The corn seems to be pretty brittle,” Schaal added. “The stalk quality has deteriorated pretty quick.”
Farmers should have opportunities for more harvest progress early this month as the forecast calls for a continuation of more moderate temperatures (with highs in the high-60s and low-70s) this week with spotty chances of isolated rain showers.
The long-range forecast for October calls for an increased chance of above-average temperatures with equal chances of precipitation around the state, except parts of western Illinois where there’s a chance of above-average precipitation, Angel added.
