Across Iowa, grain harvest is ramping up. A challenge this harvest season will be dealing with variable grain moistures from field to field as well as within individual fields. Additionally, drought conditions that have persisted all year and rapid accumulation of growing degree days are leading to grain that quickly became overly dry. Follow the below set of tips to limit yield loss this fall.
Harvest is approaching too quickly this fall. Between the dry summer and the spurts of hot weather in August and early September, crop standability is degrading quickly. This blog will go over some potential reasons for standability issues and ways to assess and prioritize fields for harvest.
The crop just ran out of gas
While the weather is working in our favor this year for grain harvest, the crop is drying down quickly and mold and dust are prolific. Dust and mold cause significant respiratory issues that range in symptoms from minor discomfort to more serious illnesses. Protecting yourself from exposure to respiratory hazards should be a priority anytime but especially when working with grain dust or potential molds.
While drought is still widespread, rainfall blanketed most of the state last week, providing some welcome relief to pastures, hay fields, newly-seeded cover crops, and later maturing soybeans. The rainfall caused some standability concerns with corn. Other issues noted by field agronomists include the start of harvest, harvest safety, cover crop seeding, and improvement in the condition of hay and pasture. Read on for more specifics for what’s happening in different regions across the state.
It doesn’t happen every year, but it does occur – snow accumulation before harvest is complete. Here are some considerations and tips for dealing with this unique situation:
With delayed planting across the state in 2019, it is important to monitor crop development to determine unique grain drying needs this fall.
