Central Iowa by Bob Collins
The last couple of weeks proved to be the “Indian Summer” that everyone was waiting for. Harvest and field work all took a massive jump. All of the beans are done here, and a lot of farmers are finishing corn. Yields were better than expected in most cases. The Latham® products that I sold were very successful this year and people are very satisfied. The fields have dried fairly well and fall tillage is coming along, too.
North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
Field activity continues to progress with another week of good weather. Corn harvest continues at a steady pace with an estimated 85% complete. Spot shortages of LP drying gas have caused a few delays, but overall, a very steady stream of grain is moving in the area.
Corn moistures levels have fallen an average of ½ point per day in the past two weeks. The 110-day products are performing well and moistures are manageable for elevators and on-farm storage. Producers who considering moving all their production to earlier maturities next year need to reconsider the value of having a portion of full-season products in their lineup for 2010.
South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
The corn harvest has been a challenge due to wet soil conditions. Harvesting is continuing throughout the night this week as farmers race to get their crops out. Some are pulling equipment out of the mud in the mornings. Moisture on the corn remains in the low- to mid-20s. Propane availability is also a concern. Patience is needed this year for sure. Less than 50% of the corn has been harvested in my area, and rain is forecast for the first part of next week.
Northern Iowa by Tom Larson
Finally, a week of warm and sunny weather!
Virtually all of the soybeans have been harvested in my area. The only beans left in the field are those that are either surrounded by water or are submerged and will not be worth harvesting. The GenuityTM RoundUp Ready 2 YieldTM Soybeans and LibertyLink® soybeans were welcome additions to the Latham® lineup this year. It really gives a farmer every option available to choose from when making seed buying decisions for next year.
As corn harvest is progressing into the later stages, I feel confident in the product lineup that Latham has to offer. Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids with the GenuityTM SmartStaxTM technology look strong with the yield potential and added protection they offered. Our 3000GT products also have yielded well in my plots, winning the yield battle in many locations. Plus, the options Latham offers for refuge in Roundup Ready, GT, and Liberty are also exciting as the yields on those products were also very strong.
Visit www.lathamseeds.com to view the performance of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds in areas where you farm to help make your 2010 buying decisions.
Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson
Virtually all of the beans in NE Iowa have been harvested. What a relief! Overall, bean yields have been down this year due to white mold, SDS and BSR. Corn harvest is on the downhill slide, with 20% left to harvest. Yields have been inconsistent at best. This was one of the coldest growing seasons on record for this part of the state, and the weather has caused great variability in performance. Anywhere from 45- to 60-pound test weights have been seen with moistures ranging from 16 to 40%.
Nonetheless, we have some very impressive yields. We will know more once we are able to compile all of the late harvested plots. I will keep posting to my Twitter account for up-to-date yield results.
Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids like LH 5536 VT3 and LH 5228 VT3 are having banner years. LH 4777 VT3 was the hybrid that had 60# test weight. Mold continues to be a concern. We are still not having any dockage for this grain but storage and livestock feeding is still a concern. By the time the grain comes out of the bin, most of the mold has been removed. Once again, please continue to be concerned about safety. We have come this far, so let’s make it through this harvest safely.
Follow me on www.twitter.com under “lathamcornguy” for up to date information as it comes in this fall.
Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
Corn harvest is about 65% complete in my area. Many elevators and processors are getting full. LP gas is tight, but thanks to the last couple weeks of unseasonably warm weather, the corn crop has dried to more normal levels. Planting dates have meant more than ever. I’ve seen yields and moisture contents of corn vary greatly, showing a real advantage to early planting. Soybean harvest is 95% complete; only the areas with standing water remain and may not get harvested.
Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson
Soybeans are finished and corn is coming along. Moisture has come down a bit but it’s still higher than normal. Despite high moistures, most farmers are taking it out of the fields because it is the middle of November. Yields are fantastic with 200 bushels per acre being the norm. Now, we just need to keep the price where it’s at or higher.
Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Many growers are feeling relieved as their either done or very close to be done with the 2009 harvest. The past 10 to 14 days have been very favorable for many farmers to tie up any beans that may have still been in the fields. Many have had a chance of delivering beans into their contracts this past week. Yield results have amazed many growers and many have commented that their beans yielded far better than they had anticipated. Better yields will help make up for the higher harvest expenses this fall.
The corn harvest is also coming to an end for many growers. A large number of plots have been harvested, showing the potential yield by placing hybrids in the correct conditions and soils. Several farmers have also run into the problem of not having enough storage to hold their 2009 corn crop. THIS A GOOD THING! Propane has caused a few problems in the last few days, and a few farmers have had to stop harvesting because of this.
West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
The northern half of my area is pretty much complete with harvest. Farmers there are now focusing on fall tillage and anhydrous application, which has come along nicely this week. The southern half of this area received on average ¾ of an inch of rain this week, which is slowing harvest progress. The majority of the beans are done there with corn harvest in progress.
When I sit down to write articles for our blog, I feel like I'm sitting down with my family at the dinner table, ready to talk about 