Soybeans Taking Priority This Harvest

It was another busy week of harvest activity around the state. As of Sunday, 17% of Indiana soybeans had been harvested, up from  7% the week before. That figure will be even higher on next week’s report from USDA. The soybean harvest has been the top priority especially in SW Indiana.

Dan Emmert, with Pioneer, told HAT that the dust has been flying.

“In many areas, there has been no rain since Labor Day, so conditions are very dry and the dust is flying. There has been a lot of soybeans harvested in the past week.”

Dan Emmert

Emmert noted that ideal weather last April saw the majority of soybean fields planted in SW Indiana.

“We had more April planted soybeans than we have ever had; and, thus, those soybeans are maturing a little earlier than normal.”

He also said that the corn is not drying down as fast, with many fields still in the 20% or higher moisture level.

There are reports of quality problems with the soybean crop. Green stem issues have slowed harvest, and southern rust infestation has hurt yields. Emmert says extremely dry conditions in parts of Daviess, Knox, and Pike Counties resulted in some pod abortion.

“We saw a lot of 3 pod plants become 2 pod plants. Yet, even with that, yields are good; and some growers have told me they are experiencing the best soybean yields they have ever had.”

He attributed this to the early planting of the crop.

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