“I’ll Take It Not Getting Wetter”
“I’ll Take It Not Getting Wetter”
At the end of April, 2019, Trent Brandenburg has only 100 acres of corn planted. He is usually nearly done with planting at this time of year. “It’d be different if I was the only farmer in Illinois who didn’t have a crop in,” Trent observed. “I’ve planted corn in May before and it did fine.” Wet soil in most fields increased the risk of getting stuck in the mud. The wet soil and cold temperature are not good for healthy germination and a quick “pop-up” so desired of seedlings. Trent estimates that with warm and dry weather, it would take a week to dry out the soil, “Then I could be done in 10 days.”
Trent is planting his corn first, then soybeans. A few have planted beans first. Trent “stays with what works.” Trent says, “At this point, I’ll take it not getting wetter.”
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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
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