Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
09-11-07
Harvest begins in limited quantities, report says
By MATTHEW WILDE
Courier Staff Writer
DUNKERTON --- Combines are rolling in some parts of Iowa, but most in the
northeast corner of the state are still parked in sheds waiting for crops to mature
and dry out.
Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said
harvest of commercial corn is starting in downed fields. Farmers are attempting
to avoid any further losses due to stalk breakage or rot. Minimal ear droppage
has been reported thus far.
The heaviest lodging from high winds occurred in the southern one-third of the
state, the report said. However, 70-mph gusts in mid-July damaged tens of
thousands of acres in Northeast Iowa.
Soybeans are still a couple weeks away from coming out and if farmers can wait
that long or longer for corn, they will allow it to dry down naturally. As of Sunday,
harvested corn is averaging 25 percent moisture, the report said. Drying it down
9 points to store is costly.
Jim Fettkether, a farmer and agricultural input and seed dealer northwest of
Dunkerton, said he probably won't set foot in the combine until the end of the
month. During the last 10 years, he hasn't started harvesting much before Sept.
24.
Monday's rain and overcast skies didn't help matters, he said, losing a day of
drying.
"I've heard of (corn moisture) levels at 24 percent. I'll harvest beans first and let
the corn dry," Fettkether said. "Let Mother Nature do it."
According to Iowa State University Extension, it takes .02 gallons of propane to
remove 1 percent of moisture from 1 bushel of corn. It takes less propane per
bushel for the first points and a little more as the grain becomes drier.
Field dry down with daily high temperatures around 75 degrees is 1 point every
three days.
Government officials predict corn will average a record 201 bushels per acre in
Northeast Iowa, with beans coming in at 56 bushels per acre. Local crop experts
and farmers are skeptical yield monitors will ring up those type of numbers, but
they still expect a good crop.
Fettkether hasn't checked fields for yield potential.
"There's nothing I can do about it now. I don't want to make predictions that might
not come true," he said. "I think it will be good, but not quite as good as the last
two years."
The seed corn harvest continues statewide, while corn silage cutting is wrapping
up in some areas.
Ninety-one percent of Iowa's corn is in the dent stage, which is 6 points ahead of
the five-year average, and 41 percent is mature, or safe from frost. Two percent
of the grain and seed corn has been harvested statewide as of Sunday. Corn still
in the field is averaging 31 percent moisture.
The crop is rated 3 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 50 percent
good and 19 percent excellent.
Selling this year's corn crop for a good price shouldn't be a problem, according to
the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Besides strong demand from domestic buyers,
namely ethanol plants, exports are 9 percent higher than last year at this time. In
the 2006-07 marketing year, 2.1 billion bushels were sold overseas.
"We know that it takes strong demand in all three usage areas --- livestock
feeding, processing and exports --- to keep up with our ability to produce corn,"
said Vic Miller of Oelwein in a press release. The Oelwein farmer is the former
promotion board chairman. "This year strong exports have contributed to the
good corn prices we've seen, and the growth in pork exports id definitely helping
Iowa's hog producers. We're seeing our checkoff investment in export
development pay off every time we sell corn."
Soybean development statewide is slightly behind normal. The report said 62
percent are turning color, 3 points behind the five-year average. Twenty-five
percent are dropping leaves, 1 point behind last year at this time.
The soybean crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 22 percent fair,
52 percent good and 20 percent excellent. Sudden death syndrome continues to
be reported in soybean fields, the report said.
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.