Harvest Updates from Iowa Corn leaders on Thurs., Oct. 6, 2011

Harvest Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders – Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011

Deb Keller of Clarion says soybean harvest is nearly complete in her area of north-central Iowa. Soybean yields ranged between 50 to 60 bushels per acre. Soybeans were very dry at the end of harvest -- down to 8.5 to 9 percent moisture. The dry conditions have been beneficial to corn moisture levels and farmers are starting to ramp-up corn harvest. They had some corn lodge during recent wind storms so they are harvesting those fields first.

Soybean harvest is complete for Roscoe Eggers of State Center. Soybeans were extremely dry (around 8 to 9 percent moisture) as harvest wrapped up but yields were pretty good ranging from 50 to 60 bushels per acre. The July 11 wind storm that hit central and east-central Iowa will make corn combining slow. He expects to run the combine at one-to-two miles per hour in fields where the corn is lodged.

In northeastern Iowa, Mark Recker of Arlington says farmers in his area are busy harvesting soybeans. Many farmers were harvesting corn but switched to soybeans on Monday. Moisture levels are dropping quickly with the dry conditions. He expects the majority of soybean harvest to be wrapped up by this weekend. He has heard of soybean yield averages in the range of 60 to 70 bushels per acre.