We’re Way Ahead On Growing Degree Days
Trent Brandenburg is happy with his corn and soybean crops so far. The corn is fully pollinated and ear fill is underway. Trent wants more rain to get the test weight of the corn kernels up. The early growth and maturity is due to the number of degree days so far. “We’re ‘way ahead on degree days,” Trent happily noted.
On the other hand, Trent’s soybeans are chest-high and maybe have a little too much water. Trent’s experience has been that the tallest soybeans do not yield as well as more normal- sized plants. Trent has so far not observed any disease problems in his soybeans. Trent is busy mowing roadsides, where the grass is growing as well as his corn and soybeans.
More from The Field Report
Wild And Windy Winter Weekend
Trent Brandenburg and family endured a near miss yesterday as a tornado touched down a few miles from their home place. Tornadoes are a rare occurrence in December, but a "bomb cyclone" ripped through central Illinois yesterday. Houses were unroofed [...]
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest
Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]
In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest
The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties. Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn [...]