“A Whole Lot Better Than Last Year”
Decent Yields, Despite Record-Dry August
Despite the late planting this season, and the record-dry August, Trent Brandenburg is happy with his soybean and corn crops. Although Trent’s pre-harvest estimate of his soybean yield was in the 40-bushel-per-acre range, he was pleasantly surprised to get 55-60-bushel yields. Although August was extremely dry, the temperatures were much cooler than normal, which Trent believes lessened the drought impact on his soybean yield. Trent has harvested about half his soybeans, ahead of most of his corn crop, because “they were ready and the corn wasn’t.”
Trent has only harvested about a third of his corn crop because the moisture has been running about 23%, which would require added cost for drying the corn for storage. The advancing fall season means shorter days and cooler weather, so while harvest time is limited by the shorter day length, so is the rate of field drying. Trent has decided to concentrate on the soybean crop, and then finish the corn and pay whatever corn drying is finally required. His corn yields have varied from 140 to 220 bushels per acre, depending on early or late time of planting, and soil conditions in a particular field.
More from The Field Report
Dry Weather Hastens Harvest
September in central Illinois was one-to-three-inches short of average rainfall. Trent Brandenburg took full advantage of the natural drydown and good field conditions to get his crops from the field to the bin. Trent has completed his soybean harvest. He [...]
Not Quite Harvest Time Just Yet
Trent Brandenburg's earliest-planted corn is "about a week away" from drying below 25% moisture. At that level, he could lower his drying expense at the grain elevator. "Now, if there's an incentive..., " Trent indicated that an elevator offering a [...]
Replanting Done, Corn and Beans Look Good
Trent Brandenburg has replanted his few ponded field "wet spots" as many as three times. The replanted areas are "thin," Trent observed, because "It has been too wet. But at least [replanting] will keep the weeds down." Trent is now [...]