Corn Harvest

Corn Harvest

Corn Harvest

Last week on my way to Monticello, I passed one elevator that was still moving old corn to open up the storage for the upcoming harvest.  Also, below is the first harvested field I have seen in Montgomery County.  I have not headed south, but I know dairy farmers in bond county are harvesting silage.  Probably 75% of the corn in my area has black layered, but most farmers are delaying harvest to take advantage of natural drying.  With $3 corn, cost control seems to be a good idea, but it needs to be balanced with harvest loss caused by delay.

Early corn along 1-55 at Edwardsville is harvested.  No yield report.  One farmer in St. Clair County reported in the 170's.

Phantom yield loss is something to considered along with stalk condition in deciding when to start harvesting.  The article does some math for you to help you decide.  Phantom yield loss may not be as costly with lower priced corn.

Hauling Old Corn

Montgomery County Harvest started

Corn Harvest Started

Corn Harvest Started

#harvest16 Corn Harvest

I have reports out of Monroe County that corn harvest is underway.  I am sure it is not dry corn.  Also saw a facebook post that silage is being chopped.  I know that is not the same as corn for grain, but the time is upon us.  I have not seen much corn that is even black layered, but I know the corn being harvested to the south was planted in March, so it is probably mature.  Montgomery County Extension is hosting their annual yield tour on Wednesday.  I am eagerly awaiting their reports.

Bumper Corn Crop?

Bumper Corn Crop?

Corn Harvest

We have been hearing reports that corn yield in our area is off 10 to 20%.  The temporary corn storage below is near Tuscola.

Courtesy of Maribeth Rahe

Saving on Machinery Costs

Saving on Machinery Costs

Corn Harvest Old Machinery

One of the things I like to do in my blog is show things that you do not see every day.  I recently ran out of gas in my 4 wheeler and had to go to Morrisonville to get gas.  I was truly amazed to spot the New Idea corn picker about 2 miles south of Morrisonville.  This would have been state of the art corn harvesting about 1960. I guess the producer is saving equipment costs.  Just in case you are in doubt, on the way back to the field, I caught the same machinery actually working in the field.

Harvest Progress

Harvest Progress

Corn Harvest

I delivered recommendations in West Alton Area today  There was not much corn harvested until Bethalto.  We have some customers done or near done in the West Alton Area.  Over all I would guess about 40% of the corn is harvested in that area.

Corn Harvest in Brazil

Corn Harvest in Brazil

Brazilian Agriculture corn Corn Harvest

By Eduardo Paim:

Here in Mato Grosso in areas that are reaping corn safrinha (second crop) 2015 producers are not very happy with the production, they expected average harvest of 130 to 140 bags per hectare, but are noticing a reduction of 15% in production. The problem is not only in reducing production, farmers are reaping poor quality corn, with moldy corn, and burned up with a white layer of plaster.

I heard the same reports to the State of Parana.

Producers are putting the bad quality of and low productivity on diseases, because there was too much rain that caused these problems.

Did We Hit the Limits of Genetics?

Did We Hit the Limits of Genetics?

Corn Harvest

I know it is a long way till harvest is over, but I think I might be seeing a trend.  Yes we all seem to be enjoying high yields to one extent or another.  On the other hand, I was able to glimpse the yields on a variety check plot in the county.  Yields varied a good deal from one variety to the next.  The high was something like 283 and the low was around 230.  That seems like a wide gap especially in a year when growing conditions were excellent if not perfect.  I have heard similar situations from individual fields where the biggest difference was variety.