Harvest Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders - Tues., Nov. 1, 2011

Harvest Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders - Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Jerry Main of Fairfield finished corn harvest on Monday, Oct. 31 and he estimates that corn harvest is at least 85 percent complete in southeast Iowa. It continues to be very dry and rain would be welcomed. Farmers with cow-calf herds have been feeding a lot of hay because the pastures are so dry. Some fall tillage is being done but because of the wet spring and dry summer and fall, the fields are very dry and the tillage equipment is pulling very hard.

Roger Knoblock of Lester says 95 percent of the corn harvest is complete in his area with only a few acres left. Liquid manure is being applied in the area and the weather has been good for those applications. August, September and October have been the driest harvest months he has seen for some time.

In southwest Iowa, Kevin Ross of Minden is still working on corn harvest. He estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the corn harvest is yet to be done. He expects that most of it will be complete by next week. Overall, corn yields have been good. Very little tillage is done in the rolling fields of western Iowa.