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Farmers hope rain stays away
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REGIONAL -- Last week's bout of cool weather and significant rainfall did nothing but make area farmers more nervous.
Faced with delay upon delay this fall due to weather conditions, the agricultural community is saying it's about time the sun comes out, the wind picks up and the fields dry out to allow the 2009 harvest to be completed.
According to Iowa's Crop and Weather Report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship from last week, a week ago farmers were able to get in the fields and get going on the harvest, but as the rain began falling on Wednesday through Friday, it slowed up progress significantly.
Word now is that the harvest is about three weeks behind schedule, with rain chances again this week.
"We're definitely behind," said Kyle Jensen, Iowa State University Field Agronomist based in southwest Iowa. "(The weather) is just delaying us all the time. It's just pushing the harvest back further."
As of early last week, only eight percent of Iowa's soybean crop and four percent of the corn crop was harvested. Much of that work was done a week ago Sunday when warmer temperatures and dry breezes reached most of the state.
It rained most of last week, and although Saturday was dry, it still was tough to get in the fields. Muddy conditions from upwards of four inches of rain parked the combines for a time.
Terry Torneten, ISU Extension Regional Director, said although he hasn't been out in the fields, he's hearing reports that farmers are hoping for more cooperative weather.
"It appears from my travels that harvest is going very slowly," said Torneten. "To be sure, this harvest season is full of challenges."
Rich Pope, integrated pest management specialist with ISU, said the weather for October has not been conducive to improving field conditions. He called it a replay of 1992 when their were good yields, but wet grain.
Charles Hurburgh, ISU Professor of Ag and Biosystems Engineering in charge of the Grain Quality Initiative, said he's concerned about the high moisture soybean and the problems they are creating for the grain industry. "Producers need to get moisture out of beans, as drying and shrink charges are going up at local elevators," he said.
Palle Pedersen, extension soybean agronomist, says the harvest has been awful.
"Beans are wet; producers just need to get some air on them - storage is the real problem.
"(The) only positive thing in the fields right now is that most of the corn is still standing well."
Jensen said although that's true, a week that sees snow or ice could create standability issues for corn in southwest Iowa. It just adds extra weight.
What's needed is warm and sunny weather. Elwynn Taylor, ISU Extension Climatologist, said normal and dry weather could be coming as the end of the month nears. Jensen said that would be best.
"Hopefully conditions start to get better," Jensen said. "It's amazing how quickly conditions improve and how fast it can dry out with some warm and sunny weather."
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©The Harlan Tribune 2009
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