Farmers in Southern Indiana are starting to ramp up harvest, but early yield numbers are very disappointing. Farmers have started to harvest fields planted in late April and are finding a serious problem.
“Two weeks of 90 degree temperatures and almost no rain have forced the corn and soybeans to mature prematurely,” says Brian Bush, Pioneer agronomist in SE Indiana.
Bush told HAT the premature death of those crops is taking a significant yield toll.
“We are seeing yields on early soybeans in the 30 bpa range and corn in the 150 area, with many reports below that,” said Bush.
Moisture levels in the crops are dropping fast, and Bush says many producers have decided to let the crops stand in the field and dry down rather than spend the money on propane gas.
Bush said the crops were doing well at the beginning of September but the hot dry weather in September damaged grain fill.
“The heat has just zapped all the health out of those plants and shrunk the kernels,” he said.
Bush is concerned about what the yields will be when the full season harvest starts in the next few days. He added this, along with shallow roots from being planted in wet conditions, “has led to lighter test weights and disappointed farmers.”
Bush believes harvest of full season crops will begin in earnest later this week.