By news@stevenscountytimes.com on Sep 24, 2018 at 6:03 p.m.
Despite the rain, some farmers are still able to combine corn, said Mitch Daly, an agronomist with the Donnelly Co-op. Daly said some farmers were combining Sept. 24.
Farmers pay attention to corn moisture levels and although it's rained and been cooler, Daly said moisture levels were at a low enough percentage that some farmers were willing to combine corn.
"The guys I'm talking to have (corn) moisture levels in the low 20s," Daly said. "They are thinking that it's dry enough and with the air temperature with warmer air now than in mid-October, it's cheaper to run the dryer now."
Soybean harvest got off to a slow start before the rain and cooler temperatures arrived last week, Daly said.
"We might not see soybean harvest again until the end of the week or next week," Daly said. Any harvest work depends on the weather, he said. "It's still early," Daly said of the harvest season.
Daly said it's not unsual for soybean harvest to start around Oct. 1.
The co-op applies fertilizer to many fields in the fall. Daly figured the co-op would be applying fertilizer to some corn fields before soybean fields this year which is the opposite of most falls.
"We are hoping for a big fall," Daly said of harvest and field work. "Last year we got cut short because of the (rainy) weather."
Early indications are for an expected average to above average corn crop this year, Daly said.