Agronomy Zone 8

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The weather in north central Iowa has been somewhat erratic, to say the least.  In areas around Clarion we saw completely hailed out soybean fields and upwards of 12 ½ inches of rain in four days!  Most of the growers in that area did get in to replant several of those fields, but not until around the 4th of July.  Other areas of Iowa and Minnesota have also seen a lot of rain in a short time period.  Some other areas of Northwest Iowa and Minnesota, however, are looking very good.  They were dry early on and have had gradual rains so far this year. 

Many corn fields here have seen significant nitrogen losses, and with ample rainfall there also has not been any reason for the roots to develop and go down.  There have been instances of green snap occurring in a few corn fields, but as a whole they are holding up very well.  Compaction has also been showing up in many areas.  Corn following soybeans overall has been looking pretty good, but corn on corn has had quite a few struggles.

The soybeans have also had a lot of stress put on them.  Disease has been prevalent across a wide area with Brown Spot, Bacterial Blight, and Phytophthora Root Rot showing up in a lot of cases.  The next disease to look for will be Sudden Death Syndrome in the soybeans.  The disease infects soybeans in wet areas at planting time and then shows up usually in the first part of August.  I look for this to be pretty widespread this year with the weather we have been having.

Corn planting is approximately 90 percent completed in northcentral Iowa.  Soybean progress would be probably less than 10 percent completed at this time.

In southern Minnesota, corn planting would be close to 100 percent completed, with this area having missed a lot of the rain that was received in Iowa.  Progress has also been made on soybean planting, with approximately 25 to 30 percent of soybean acres planted at this time.  In fact, north of Austin, Minnesota, that figure would be closer to 50 to 60 percent completed with very little moisture at all received in that area.

With the soybean harvest completed in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, some growers are declaring the 2009 crops are the “best soybeans we’ve ever harvested.” Many farmers in the region treated their seeds for aphids to help eliminate stress and they are enjoying a 10 bushel/acre advantage over the growers that did not invest in seed treatments.

The corn harvest is a different story. With about 80 percent complete in northern Iowa and 60 percent complete in southern Minnesota, growers are reporting eat rot, ear molds and cob molds because of the wet conditions. The cob mold is affecting kernels’ test weight and reducing the number of bushels per acre. Another problem affecting an already challenging corn harvest is a LP shortage in the region that is causing delays for many growers that are drying corn. Farmers in southern Minnesota are reporting moisture contents between 23 and 30 percent and are anxious to finish drying corn before the snow begins to fly. Stine’s VT Triple corn 9523-VT3 and 9526-VT3 are producing the best yields in our region because its strong standability has protected the plants from wind damage and prevented stalks from breaking.

Soybean harvest has been a challenge across most of North Central Iowa and into Minnesota this fall.  Minnesota has pretty much completed soybean harvest and North Central Iowa could take another week to finish.  The many replanted areas have been slowing harvest as well as the continued rain pattern all over.  Yields have been as extreme as I have ever seen -- ranging from mid 30’s to 70 bushel whole field averages.  Treating, Foliar-Feeding, and Aphid spraying on the soybeans have provided very good returns.  The story that "rain makes grain" has been a touchy subject with many producers. 

Corn harvest is just beginning, with yields quite variable also.  Growers have been reporting moistures ranging from 17% to 27% at this time.  Yields have had a difference of 100 bushels an acre as they are harvesting across the field.  Hybrid placement and genetic diversity will be quite evident as we evaluate at the end of the year.  Corn harvest may take a while to complete this year, so please be safe.