Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson

It’s getting harder to find a standing corn field these last couple days. I have seen a couple fields with three combines going, 12 rows each. My phone is beginning to ring now with folks asking many questions on seed results. It will be a fall to remember with the large yields in northwest Iowa and the wetter than normal moisture. Some customers are thinking about moving to earlier maturities on corn next year, if next season turns out to be hot and dry, that wouldn’t be the thing to do either. It’s better to spread out your risk by diversifying your maturities and varieties a bit.

East Central Iowa by Wayde McNeil

Only about 5% of the corn in my area remains to be harvested. Field work has almost stopped because of cold weather. On a side note, last week I was in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Illinois has about 60% of the corn still in fields; Indiana has 30%; and Ohio has 30% in fields to the east. All states are high moisture and are reporting lots of mold. We will not have full report on bushels until January or February.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson

Finished at last!  What little amount of corn is still in the fields should be finished by the end of this weekend.  It’s been a very long harvest with a lot of delays due to weather and breakdowns.  Highlights have been very high corn yields in corn, which have helped us see the potential of our new corn hybrids. I’m very excited to be putting cropping plans together for next year to capitalize on the potential we saw this year.  Here’s what I saw:  Latham® Hi-Tech Hybrids LH 5372 RR and LH 5376 VT3 had a very solid year.  Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids LH 5494 GT3000, LH 5493 GTCBLL, and LH 5492 GT performed above virtually every other hybrid this year.  Based on replicated yield trial data for LH 5033 3000GT, this will clearly be the hybrid to beat in northeast Iowa.  For soybeans, Latham L2440R2 dominated the yield trials and has sorted to the top of Latham’s Genuity^TM Roundup Ready 2 Yield^TM offering.  Also, L2085R1 continues to be as solid as any soybean in the market place.  It performs in virtually all circumstances and has grown more bushels than any soybean in our line-up.

Follow me on twitter under “lathamcornguy” for up to date information on the newest happenings in the seed industry.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie

Many Wisconsin growers finished the last of the corn that had remained in the fields. Many farmers are very satisfied with the yields this year, especially considering all of the challenges that presented themselves this year. In the past two weeks, the corn that was still in the fields has dropped in moisture. The corn has been coming out of the field at about 17-19% moisture this past week. Many growers are willing to sit down and get 2010 cropping plans put together.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty

Corn harvest is about 90% complete, and bean harvest is 98% complete.

Central Iowa by Bob Collins

Harvest is now complete in central Iowa as is most of the tillage. The good news is that it seems that everyone was very satisfied with their Latham products this year!

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker

Corn harvest has shifted gears as lower temperatures stiffened the soils to let the combines roll across the entire field for most farmers. With that, 75% of the harvest is complete and should rap up in the next week or so. That four letter word (snow) is in the forecast next week, making the harvest go longer into the night. Long lines at the elevators also have slowed the harvest.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer

Harvest is basically complete in the North Central area. Field work and fall fertilizer have continued as the snow fell this morning. After a wet, cool October, we experienced a very nice November to finish up this year’s harvest. Producers can look at what worked well and what didn’t in a year that wasn’t a perfect growing environment.  Now we can concentrate on next year.

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 Genuity^TM RoundUp Ready 2 Yield^TM 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 Genuity^TM SmartStax^TM 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.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
Soybean harvest is 95% complete. Corn harvest is 50% complete. The corn has dried down surprisingly well, dropping about 5 to 8 points in the last 10 days.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Many growers in the southern part of the state are wrapping up both their corn and soybean harvest. The last 12 days of warm dry weather has allowed many of them to harvest early in the morning and go late into the night. In northern Wisconsin, it’s a different story. For example, in the New London area,  50% of the beans and more than 80% of the corn are still in the fields. Many of the grain elevators are not able to take the wet corn in because their drying system simply cannot keep up with that amount of wet corn.  Many growers are very pleased with their yields this fall but where not expecting to spend the large amounts of money on their propane bills.

East Central Iowa by Wayde McNeil
Bean harvest is complete, and corn harvest is 70% done. Moisture is running at 20%, and average test weight is 52 to 57. Fields are drying up nicely for fall field work.

North Central Iowa by Bart Peterson
By the weekend everything should be combined and done in North Central and West Central Iowa. Anhydrous is going strong and tillage also.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker

Most of the soybean acres have been harvested. L2085R and L2440R2 finished strong in the super strips taken out in my region. Corn harvest has been going strong this week, but field conditions are wet to say the least. Yields are coming in higher than most farmers expected, but the moisture content is also higher than expected.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer

The last week provided some beautiful drying weather, so harvest is full throttle ahead with the race to get tillage done before the next round of wet weather. Corn moistures have come down approximately 4 to 6 points on some varieties since last Thursday and test weights also have been inching their way upward. Soybean harvest is nearing completion with only some extremely wet areas, which were unreachable last week, still remaining. While traveling the Highway 212 corridor from Granite Falls to the Twin Cities, it looks like a demilitarized zone with ruts in the fields everywhere regardless of slope. It will take an extremely cold winter to break some of that compaction loose, but when mother nature gives you an opportunity of sunshine…. you take it.

North West Iowa by Bruce Anderson

Things are moving right along now that the weather has cooperated. Soybeans are finished and the corn is well under way. I’d say 50% of the corn is out and is still rather high on moisture, ranging from 19 to 25%. Yields continue to be fantastic, well over 200 bushel/acre in most cases. Soybean yields were also quite good, considering the less than desirable weather conditions we faced throughout the growing season.  Most fields were in the 50s and lower 60s. By this time next week, tillage should be underway. Elevators are closing at 1 p.m. daily to keep up with the drying.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer

What a difference a week can make!  Soybean harvest is all but complete. It’s amazing the amount of acres that can be covered when Mother Nature cooperates.  Overall, yields and quality remain good.  L2085R’s, L2082R’s and L2285R’s have had a great year in my area. The RR2’s (2182R2’s & 2440R2’s) did very well in a Super Strip near Geneva.  This looks to be awesome lineup for Latham Hi-Tech Soybeans in 2010!

Corn continues to be harvested at a steady pace.  I’m estimating corn harvest at 66% complete as of today.  Moistures are moving downward and are a little more manageable this week. Quality seems to be good with a few scattered reports of mold.  At this time, I have not heard of any elevator discounts but caution needs to taken when working with this corn crop.  Yield data is a little slow to come in this year, but early indications are that yields are similar or a little better than last year in the North Central region.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson

We have made a lot of progress since the last report.  Only 10% of the bean harvest is left, and we’re taking out the corn harvest like never before.  Most of the growers in my area are feeling Old Man Winter breathing down their backs and are aggressively getting the corn harvested.  The biggest talk in the field has been dry down.  We’re having an unprecedented late dry down of this year’s corn crop.  I’ve seen moistures drop by 5 to 10% which is extraordinary for mid- November.

Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids like LH 5228 VT3 have done an outstanding job at drying down.  Other hybrids that have been performing well in northern Iowa are: LH 5033 GT3000, LH 5228 VT3 and LH 5372 RR / LH 5376 VT3. On the bean side, L2440R2 has shown astonishing yield gains – 10 to 15% – when compared to plot checks.  It’s all about yield with this line and it’s very impressive!

With the low amounts of sleep and high amounts of pressure to get this harvest in, it’s a good time to remind everybody to keep safety at the forefront.

Follow me on www.twitter.com under “lathamcornguy” for up to date information as it comes in this fall.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
Conditions have improved this week in the North Central area.  Although ground conditions are wet, corn harvest moved forward this week at a steady pace.  Soybean harvest started up again mid-week.  Moistures on soybeans have become manageable with quality surprising good. Corn moistures remain higher than normal for this time of year. Storage and drying/handling time are becoming issues with the amount of acres that still need to be harvested.

Fall fertilization and tillage is moving right along with some anhydrous ammonia rigs running.  There is great amount of activity both in the field and on the roadways.  SAFETY needs to be a part of everyone’s daily plan.

North Central Iowa by Bart Pederson
Harvest is wrapping up in my area with beans being finished and corn about 85-90% done.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
The end of the week looks to be the best weekend we’ve had all harvest season. Temperature and precipitation are finally in the farmers’ favor. This should allow most soybean producers to finish, with the exception of some larger farmers or lower ground that is still wet.

A lot of rain fell the past week and soil conditions are soggy.  Consider the damage you are doing with the compaction and rutting of the fields. If corn is not at your desired moisture level, you may want to wait. Walk your fields to see which variety is standing good; check the dryness of grain and of the soil before you roll in with the combine. You may lose out on your optimum yield for next year’s crop.

It has been a good year for colorful corn ears. Corn ear molds are in full bloom around the state. Moldy corn has the potential for mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxin management at harvest involves optimizing harvest and storage conditions to minimize physical damage and to avoid additional mold growth. Dry corn as quickly as possible to 12-14%. Storage at cool temperature will help to slow down fungal growth in grain and gentle handling will limit the amount of damaged grains.  As always, be safe this harvest season.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie

Many of local growers had a chance to harvest some of the beans still in the fields. Monday and Tuesday turned out to be great drying days, considering it is now November. Many farmers have been able to pull beans out of the fields at 13% moisture for the first time this year. Along with dryer beans, bushels have been proven to hold in there as well. Many fields of Latham® beans are coming out anywhere from 48 b/A up to 72.6 b/A in La Crosse County.

Unfortunately, the weather conditions have created a mold problem in corn. Although it is a surface, mold on the kernel it is still worrying many growers that they’ll get docked at time of sale. Corn moistures have been all over the board: anywhere from 19% moisture up to 35% moisture in some of the later maturing hybrids.

The good news is that the yields have been a little better then what many have hoped for. Last weekend I harvested a corn plot in Lafayette County, and our very own LH 5494 3000GT won the plot with 211.7 dry bushels, beating a competitor by 39.2 b/A.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher

Guys have been able to hit the fields this week which has helped the overall attitude of everyone as October was frustrating to say the least.  Latham products have been performing extremely well in West Central Iowa with most folks in the northern half finishing up with bean harvest while the southern half is getting a good chunk of the beans out this week.  Look for yield results on-line at www.lathamseeds.com.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson
We received 1½ inches with the last system, so we’re currently rained out again.  We’re about 20% done on soybeans and are just getting started with corn harvest.  I’ve seen a lot of mold (Cladosporium and Trichoderma), but most of it is on a surface level and shouldn’t result in any dockage.  Some early yield results shw L2440R2’s as the bean to beat and L2085R is still a rock-solid performer.  Topping what data we have seen from this scant corn harvest has been LH 5376 VT3 and LH 5494 3000GT.  Both of these hybrids have been doing very well and doing it in style with great late-season integrity.
Keep an eye on stalk strength as this weather and timing of harvest is going to create a “perfect storm” for rot.  Choose fields to start harvesting with this in mind.  Many growers are getting concerned about getting the beans out.  With all of the moisture in field, we will have to make sure to drop the corn head and get these beans before the snow does!
Follow me on www.twitter.com under “lathamcornguy” for up-to-date information as it comes in this fall.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
Much of my area saw 2+ inches of rain on Thursday, bringing the field work to a halt again.  There were some beans harvested Tuesday and Wednesday at 14% moisture.  Much of the northern part of my area has all but completed soybean harvest with the southern part still having a significant amount of bean harvest yet to do.  Most farmers have resorted to harvesting corn at higher moistures than they would like in order to get something accomplished during this difficult stretch of weather.
It looks like we may have 4-5 consecutive days of decent weather, beginning this weekend, which would be very much welcomed.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
It’s the same old story for North Central Iowa:  WET. Monday and Tuesday were the only two days of activity in the area. Very few soybeans were harvested due to high moistures, so the focus moved to corn.  Corn harvest has been slowed due to wet field conditions and increased drying time for this crop. Concerns and conversations have focused on some mold and other ear damage. Overall, corn yields remain good with above normal moistures.
Hopefully, this weather pattern will break and we will be able to continue with harvest next week.  As producers make seed decisions for next year, make sure not to use this year as the “normal” growing season. When picking products for your operation, consider the right traits, genetics and technology along with disease and yield characteristics to maximize your profit per acre.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
We had three days of good harvesting weather before rain set in again.  It will be next week before harvest continues. Moisture levels are a problem as these rain patterns continue.

Northern Iowa by Tom Larson
Wet weather continues to slow harvest.  I’ve been able to get a few corn plots harvested in between the rain drops.  Along with some of the new VT3 and Smart Stack combinations, the Agrisure 3000 GT hybrids are yielding very well.  As a reminder, all plots will be posted at our website, www.lathamseeds.com.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer
Wet, wetter and wettest!  Little to no field work was done this week. Corn test weight is lower than average with cases of mold being found frequently.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
Rain, rain and more rain. My area is very wet.  About 50% of the soybeans have been harvested, and 15% of the corn is done. Soybean moisture is running 15% or more while corn moisture is running 23 to 35%. I get calls every day with customers wanting to know what to do with this high-moisture grain. We can’t afford to wait any longer. Our drying days are gone, and we must get the crop out.  We could be looking at snow soon, and the stalk strength is not good enough to support the wet, heavy ear and snow. Combine the driest corn first and the poor stalk quality corn next.

Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson
Field work got underway a couple days ago and now it’s all wet again. Farmers did get in a couple afternoons and evenings, which was just enough to finish up the soybeans for some.  Beans are still yielding mostly in the mid 50s, with some at 60 and above.  Some were combined at 17% moisture and others were down around 14.5 to 15% moisture. Corn continues to be on the wet side to put it mildly. One farmer said his corn was 26% Oct. 13, and two weeks later, it had dropped down to 21%. Looks like next week farmers will have another chance to get out there and get some more acres finished.

Central Iowa by Bob Collins
I guess the big news is rain… again.  There are quite a few beans left in the field around here and the corn is running pretty high in moisture.  I got my corn plot done on Wednesday: LH 6068 VT3, LH 5896 VT3, and LH 5585 SS took top honors.  Look for my plot results on www.lathamseeds.com.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Many growers are still waiting more ideal conditions to harvest beans. The 7-day forecast calls for rain on Thursday and Friday but then dry for 5 or 6 days.  Clear weather is needed to wrap up soybean harvest and to give their corn a chance to get below 28% moisture.
Many growers have started to harvest their corn even though moisture is in the mid-20s to mid-30s in some spots. With the rains keeping many producers out of the combines, it’s given them time to go with me into their fields and look at the difference in ear intactness and stalk quality. In many corn fields this week, we have found molds starting to be a problem in the ears. This is not making it easy for producers to sell their corn to any terminals. Test weight has been proven over and over to be low this year; many are coming in at 52- to 54-pound tests.
Keep a close eye on corn put in bins at 25% and above moisture. We’ve had a few growers in the southwestern part of the state put higher moisture corn in the bins, drying it down to adequate moisture. However, growers who do so must pay attention to hot spots and make sure there are no spots in these bins that have started to sprout. It many mean more routine checks in bins this fall.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
Again this week more RAIN.  We saw 2+ inches across my region.

Before all of the rain, last week and early in the week we were able to do some harvesting.  We took out a corn plot in Dallas County that averaged 19.8% moisture on corn ranging from 108- to 115 days.  Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids LH 6598 VT3 topped the plot at 280.2 bushel/acre (bu/A) adjusted to check with a 55-pound test weight.  LH 5896 VT3 came in at 270.5 bu/A on gross yield at 19.8% moisture, and LH 6068 VT3 looked extremely good with complete plant intactness and superior standability.

For the most part, the northern half of my area has progressed well with bean harvest and has started on the corn.  Meanwhile, the southern half of my area has hardly started where moisture has been high across the board and ground conditions are less than favorable.

Let’s hope that Mother Nature gives us a break soon and strings together some good days of weather in order to get the ground conditions adequate for equipment and harvest as the fall season is growing short.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson
Follow me on twitter under “lathamcornguy” for up to date information as it comes in this fall.

Right now we’re still in a waiting pattern due to the weather, and many of the farmers are getting very anxious.  Now is a good time to get out and check stalks for stalk rot to prioritize for harvest.  Areas that hit by hail have smutted up and are infested by mold, so make sure to protect yourself from the harmful mold spores when we do get into this corn.  We will be harvesting wet corn, but at least it appears that there will be a lot of grain to handle.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
Rains have been prevalent throughout my region, and with continued rain in the forecast, it will be a while before harvest will start again. Ethanol plants are paying a premium for dry corn and most elevators are adding additional dockage on 14%-plus moisture soybeans. A few dryers have burned drying soybeans. Be careful when drying soybeans. Keep the temp below 95 degrees and watch for any buildup on the continuous flow dryers. Also, farmers are finding hot spots in their air flow grain bins and build up on the sides. Pay close attention to stored grain this fall.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
North Central Iowa again experienced a very wet week.  We only had a couple days of harvest with marginal conditions at best. Soybeans are being combined at higher than normal moistures. Caution will need to taken as high moistures soybeans are being stored and air dried. Soybeans treated with a fungicide have shown a 10 bushel increase in side-by-side comparisons.  Corn continues to be harvested as conditions allow with moistures remaining higher than normal. Current estimates are soybeans are 50% harvested and corn is 20% harvested to date. Fall fertilization has slowly begun along with some fall tillage as conditions allow. This is shaping up to be one of the wettest and coolest Octobers on record.

West Central Iowa by Bart Peterson
Beans are 80% to 85% done and corn 10% to 15% done. I know corn is wet, but check for stalk rot in your fields. That may determine when to combine your field.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
The weather has proven to be very difficult this fall. Many growers were able to harvest only a few days this week. Even then they were pulling beans out at 15-17% moisture and putting them in the bins to dry before hauling them to the river. A few plots were able pulled out and the GenuityTM Roundup Ready 2 YieldTM Soybeans outperformed the RR1 technology. Many growers are excited to see what these new beans will do to increase their bottom line.

In corn this week, a number of growers pulled their high moisture corn out and put it into silos. Many large grain farmers are being pushed to harvest corn at moistures in the mid-20 percent for fear of running out of days without snow. Corn yields in Wisconsin have been very respectable given the challenging year that we have gone through. Many yield monitors in the southern part of the state are reading 180 to 220 bushels to the acre.

East Central Iowa by Wayde McNeil
Beans are 40% harvested and corn is maybe 5-10% done.  It’s been raining again, so we had 2.5 days in the field this week.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer
Harvest progress is slow at best. With another round of rain the past two days – with no signs of improvement over the next four days – it appears that we could be harvesting corn on Thanksgiving Day. Of the very few bean plots that have come out, L2085R are having a fantastic year again and are leading the charge with L1983R doing well also.

North West Iowa by Bruce Anderson
Not a whole lot of harvest progress to report this week, but I do think 70 percent of the soybeans are harvested and about 5 percent of the corn is out. We had a real soaker Wednesday that will end all field work for this week.  Still hearing yields in the mid 50s to low 60s.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
Soybean harvest is about 50% complete, and corn harvest is about 20% complete. Neither crop will dry down. A lot of people are putting beans in the bin and blowing air to get them dried down.

Nebraska by Brian Banks
Harvest has been nearly non-existent this week as cool, cloudy, wet weather set in.  There are still a lot of soybeans to be harvested, and we have only scratched the surface on corn.  The northeast part of the state received about 4 inches of snow and central Nebraska has reports of up to 12 inches this week.  It feels more like January than October.  Guys were able to harvest last weekend and some initial corn yields are looking very good.  Stalk rots seem to be showing up more and more.  Fusarium seems to be the most prevalent but there are a few fields with bacterial stalk rot.  I have not looked at any fields with lodging problems, but I hope the weather dries out so corn harvest can start moving forward.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
My weekly crop report is becoming a broken record:  cold, damp overcast weather.  When the weather was fit for field work, we only had about a day’s worth of running.  Farmers near me woke up Saturday to about two inches of snow covering their crops.  A few farmers were able to run Sunday afternoon, Monday afternoon and some on Tuesday before the weather idled them again.

We need 4 to 5 days of good running to get most of the beans done.  Farmers have opened some corn fields with moisture ranging from 17.5 to 25 percent.  Early reports are that some Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids are running in the 200+ bushel range before moisture adjustment.  Haven’t had many complete fields of corn harvested to get a more accurate idea of overall yield performance.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
There has been no significant progress last week in our area. Rains have kept most farmers out of the fields. We will have a break this weekend through Tuesday. Everyone is chomping at the bit to get out, but moisture levels will still be too high for some to harvest.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
We have about 15% of the soybean crop harvested and 10% of the corn harvested at this point. Soybean yields have been running from 55 to 65 bushels per acre at 13 to 15% moisture. Corn is running around 170 to 220 bu/A with moistures very high, between 25 and 35%.  We’re all hoping for some sunshine and wonder “where the global warming” is. We have seen some snow and sleet already this year. Fortunately, most crops were mature enough when the frost hit late last week so I’m estimating only about 5% of the crops will suffer some yield loss because of the frost.

North West Iowa by Bruce Anderson
Patience is running thin in northwest Iowa as farmers are only getting about two hours a day to combine beans before drizzle, rain or snow sets in again.  Yields continue to amaze farmers as they’re higher than expected.  We’re hoping to get this bean crop in the bins next week. Test plots are starting to come out, so if you have one out or know of somebody that does, please forward your results to the Latham office.

Northern Iowa by Tom Larson
It is the same old story this week, with wet weather dominating the headlines:  WET, WET, WET.

As a result, I’ve been asked many questions about late-season diseases and grain quality.  The biggest concern with soybeans is the field loss due to pod quality.  As the soybean swells in the pod, it weakens the pod integrity and continuous swelling followed by drying out results in fragile pods.  When harvest resumes, please be aware of this and run your reel as slow as possible to minimize shattering the pods.  Some farmers are harvesting their beans at higher than normal moisture just to get them out of the fields.  They’re then using air and or heat to dry them out.  This is a high management situation, so if this is part of your plan, please monitor the condition of the beans regularly!

There are also a number of issues that affect the corn in a wet environment.  If your hybrid exhibits more of an upright ear at dry down, the husk can act as a funnel for moisture and literally fill the ear full of water resulting in severe damage (Diplodia Ear Rot and Fusarium) and greatly reduced grain quality.  There are also some stalk rots that will affect the standability of the corn in the field.

The key to this fall will be flexibility to harvest the crop as conditions allow.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Many growers are getting a little worried about getting the entire crop out this year as we’ve had another slow week for harvest. Over the last seven days, our state has received a mix of snow, rain, clouds, and very little sunshine. These weather conditions pushed many growers to harvest their corn before their beans just to gain on the process. Plus, a few bean were harvested even though the moisture was a bit high. Beans have been going anywhere from 45 to 65 bushel per acre, so many growers are very happy with these yields.

The one upside is that the weather has made it a little easier for growers to sit down and do crop plans.  I’m enjoying talking with growers about the opportunities we have to get them the absolute best yields for 2010 harvest.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
Another wet and cold week in the North Central Iowa area has again slowed harvest down to only a couple of days.  I am estimating only 35% of the soybeans have been combined in the area. Yields remain good with a side-by-side plot averaging 60 bushels per acre on Tuesday. Corn continues to be harvested as conditions allow with moistures ranging between 20 and 33% when it’s brought into local elevators. Dry down and stalk quality are discussion points for producers in this area as we move into the last half of October.  Keep safety in mind as the weather improves and harvest continues.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker
Field conditions in my region are damp to say the least.  A killing frost entered on Friday that will determine some yield loss on corn that did not make it to black layer. Combines were starting up again in southwest Minnesota on Thursday. The weather forecast is not favorable for harvesting during the coming week. However, excellent yield results are coming out on the crops that have been harvested.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
The weather has been overcast, dreary and damp, so there hasn’t been much harvest activity this week.  Farmers were able to cut some beans in certain areas on Wednesday afternoon, but machines sat idle due to wet field and crop conditions the rest of the week.  A few farmers switched to corn early in the week, but the corn was fairly wet.
Nebraska by Brian Banks
Once again spotty rains have slowed harvest.  There are a few guys who are nearly finished with soybeans and looking to get into the corn if the weather permits.  Overall, soybean yields are outdoing grower expectations.  The only disappointing yields are coming from fields with heavy disease and/or insect pressure.  It was cool and wet for most of the summer the central to northern part of the state, causing the conditions for brown stem rot, white mold and sudden death to be prevalent.  In the southern part of the state, where it did not rain for about 7 weeks, the culprit is mainly charcoal rot due to dry conditions.  Also in southern Nebraska, we are finding stem borer larva in the soybean stems and this has greatly affected yields.  There is a pretty good chance for snow this weekend but next week’s forecast looks better.  Hopefully, we can get a couple dry days to help harvest move forward.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer
Soybean harvest has come to a halt due to the wet weather. With the extended forecast showing more moisture in the picture for next week, a person can rationally start to get concerned about quality and harvestability issues. The biggest problem growers may run into is sickle shatter from the head. When pods cycle between being wet and dry, they become more brittle.  Each time the pods dry out it increases their chances of exploding when the reel hits the pod. Keeping your reel speed down greatly reduces the chances of shatter, and in turn, puts more bushels in the tank. Decreased reel speed presents other challenges such as the crop not feeding in like it normally would, so cutting at an angle can help because you’re using the length of the sickle and there’s an even push across the width of the head. Along with the directional change, we may have to harvest when the moisture on the beans is reads 13.5 or wetter to reduce shatter as well. Almost all grain elevators have a discount schedule for wet beans, so you need to weigh how much is lost by the discount versus what gets lost from shatter. One of the more memorable quotes I’ve heard from a custom harvesters is: “I’ll cut them with the row, against the row or at an angle.   I’ll even cut them backwards if I think it does a better job!”
East Central Iowa by Wayde McNeil
Rain, rain, go away … and come back in March! To say it’s wet and muddy here is an understatement.  Only 20% of our bean harvest is done.  The corn is very wet and has a very low test weight, ranging from 49 to 55 pounds.  Stalk health diminishes daily, so we need some good weather to get back in the fields.

Northwest Central Iowa by Bart Peterson
More than 50% of the soybeans in my area have combined and 5% of the corn is done. Corn is running 22% and higher for moisture. West Central Iowa soybeans are 45% combined and corn is 10% to 15% combined.  Hail-damaged corn is the reason why more corn is combined in West Central Iowa.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Do to the unfavorable weather this past week, many farmers are anxious to get rolling. In spite of rain, fog and a lack of sunshine, some growers were able to harvest some corn. The yields have been all over the board. A common yield in a field that had hail would be 123 to 140 bushels per acre (b/A).  In fields that weren’t hit by hail, the yields have been coming in anywhere from 180 to 220 b/A. Although moisture in many of these fields is in the high 20s to mid 30s, growers are still harvesting because they’re in a race against the amount of work to be done and the dismal forecast for the next 7 days.

Many bean fields have not been harvested or even opened up yet. The weather again has kept many growers out of the fields. Rains have been coming every other day, so as soon as the fields are ready to be harvested, it seems to rain.  In the south central part of Wisconsin, we’ve had a few reports that L2085R is yielding in the high 60s to low 70s. One upside to the weather is that farmers have had time to work on their crop plans for the year to come.

Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson
I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the weather is still delaying soybean combining. The last rainfall dumped four inches on Spirit Lake.  What was combined in the last week was yielding slightly higher than the earlier ones. I am hearing yields in the 60s and lower 70s in the western part of the state with L2085R at the top. We have yet to harvest any plots containing our new varieties, so we’re still waiting to see how those are yielding.

North Iowa by Tom Larson
The key Latham® soybeans that have been harvested (L1983R, L2085) are the ones to beat.   This is true in both Latham research trials as well as independent third-party tests.  As the weather improves, look for a tremendous amount of progress to be made in soybean harvest.  Some farmers have ventured into a few corn fields.  As expected, the moisture is higher than previous years and the soggy ground is making it a slow go.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
There was very little field activity in the North Central area this week because of the weather. A few soybeans were harvested late Wednesday, but the rain today possibly ended harvest for the week.  Some corn was harvested with moistures around 24%.  It’s a little early to determine yield trends with concerns of field variation across the fields.  Hopefully, next week will give us better harvest conditions.
Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson
We’re still in a waiting pattern.  Not much has happened since my last report, so many farmers are getting very anxious.  Most farmers I’ve talked with are planning to start harvesting again on Monday.  Now is a good time to get out and check stalks for stalk rot, so you can prioritize fields for harvest.  The areas that have got hit by hail have smutted up and are infested by mold, so make sure to protect yourself from the harmful mold spores when you do get into this corn.  We will be harvesting wet corn, but at least after this imminent freeze we will be able to go full speed with harvest.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher

It has been wet, cold and dreary in my area over the last couple of days.  Thankfully, we haven’t received any heavy precipitation or damaging weather. Area farmers had 4 or 5 good days of soybean harvest.  One of my soybean plots was harvested, with the Genuity^TM Roundup Ready 2 Yield^TM (RR2Y) beans yielding in the 70 bushel range.  When adjusted to check, the plot winner came in at 77.9 bushels/acre (L2958R2)!  Other reports show the L2658R having good yield results in the mid- to upper 60-bushel range across entire fields. One dealer reported that the L2380 yielded 65.3 bu/A on 70+ acres, which had been sprayed with Headline fungicide. With the excitement and early results of the RR2Y soybeans, I would encourage farmers to get these booked early as there is a lot of interest in them.
There’s not much action yet on the corn harvest as farmers are waiting on the weather to cooperate, so they can get back into the fields.  The weather looks to improve over the next couple of days, with rain in the forecast again for the first part of the coming week. I’m wishing everyone a safe and profitable harvest season!

Southeastern Nebraska by Brian Banks

Harvest is moving along in the southern part of our state, but in a lot of places the beans are still a little green.  Yields are looking pretty good at this point and the performance of RR2Y soybeans looks very promising.  Soybean moisture has been anywhere from 8.8% to 11.5%.  Irrigated yields are nearing 80 bu/A and dry land is topping 60 bu/A in places.  Areas with severe Sudden Death Syndrome or other diseases are obviously yielding much less.  Growers need to take note of these fields to pick the right varieties in the future.

North Central Iowa by Bart Peterson

North Central Iowa is about 50% done combing beans. Corn harvest has not started yet, except end rows on a few fields. The combining of production seed corn is going strong, and a lot of production seed Corn fields are all ready ripped.

Central Iowa by Bob Collins

Bean harvest is well underway and yields have been really good.  The rains this week have stopped harvest for the time being.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer

Soybean harvest has begun in Minnesota with western parts of the state leading the charge. Yield reports are varied with mid 30’s on sand to as high as the upper 50’s on some better ground. Keep in mind that the next week looks to be awfully wet.  When things dry out, it will be full steam ahead and we’ll have a better picture of yield results. White mold and brown stem rot have really hit some fields hard. What would have appeared to be some very nice yielding bean fields a month ago are just not there today due to the damage.

South Dakota by Bill Eichacker

Frost came into parts, but most crops were out of the danger category. Silage cutting has wrapped up, so a few farmers have begun harvesting soybeans. Reports of soybeans yields are coming in strong:  55 bu/A in the Vermillion area; 62 bu/A in the Canton area; and 65 bu/A in the Salem area. All of these yields  are above county averages. I heard reports that corn moisture is in the low 20’s with above-average yield. Rain has settled in for the weekend with more rainfall predicted for next week.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty

Soybean harvest has begun here. Yields at this point are good, ranging from 55 to 70 bushels per acre.  Harvest has stopped due to rain. Little to no corn has been harvested at this time.

Northern Iowa by Tom Larson

Early harvest numbers are trickling in.  It looks like L2085R is still the bean to beat in the Early Group 2 maturity range.  It has an outstanding defensive package along with top-end yields.  I’m also hearing some positive results from the new Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans.  Rain has chased everyone out of the fields for the weekend, but we’re hoping to resume harvest early next week.  For specific yield information for your area, go to www.lathamseeds.com and click on “yield results.”

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie

Many growers in southern Wisconsin have started to cut beans or harvest corn.  Many fields of corn that were hit by hail in July are starting to have stalk issues. The winds that we have had the past two days (20-30 mph) have not helped the stalks’ ability to stand. Given this situation, many growers are starting to harvest these fields.  The yields in these fields have been anywhere from 120- to 170- bushels/acre.  There have been challenges with moisture in these fields, as well.  Across the field, moisture can vary from 18% up to 28% all in a 300-yard stretch.

Many of bean fields have dried down to 13% moisture, some growers have started harvesting. The stems are a little green yet, causing a few problems with combining at this time. There is a forecast for some cold nights that could help this issue.  In the northern part of the state, the harvest is about one week away.  Growers there are getting anxious to start.

Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson

Things are progressing better this week. Some combines are not rolling until mid-afternoon due to the toughness of the stems. Beans are running from 10% to 12% in moisture, and yields continue to be in the 50s. Yields are surprisingly good for the damaging weather conditions that we endured.  I counted pods yesterday on a few Roundup Ready 2 Yield plots.  Most had three beans in them, and I saw several four-bean pods.  The stems are just loaded with pods. I also looked at several Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids, all of which were standing straight as a tree yesterday. There are lots of bushels out there to be combined, so I’m eagerly awaiting yield reports.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer

North Central Iowa producers hit harvest hard for the first half of this week. The scattered frost we received Wednesday morning is generally not going to be a concern for the crops in the area. Soybean yields have been averaging in the mid-50s. L2085R has performed well with its ability to hold off SDS in our area. L2038R is again having a very good year along with L2082R.  Very little corn was harvested this week, with soybean harvest taking priority.  Variability across the field is a major concern for producers along with nitrogen deficiencies on corn acres. Rain will continue through the weekend and into next week.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson

Some of our customers have just started to combine soybeans with very mixed results.  The two limiting factors in our area this year were white mold and SDS.  One customer relayed a 10-bushel advantage over a 10 day earlier planting date (April 18) on the same variety of soybeans in the same field.  This serves as a good reminder about the importance of being able to manage early planting on soybeans as we start looking forward to next spring.

Some of the first results I have heard from silage harvest is on the LH5492GT; this variety has continued to dominate in this arena.  Everywhere this thing has been planted, it is showing up awesome from sod ground to lighter river bottoms and even sneaking into the clay hills.  I’m very excited to have it available in LH5494 3000GT for those corn-on-corn situations and for extra protection on rotated ground.

We’re currently rained out, so it’s a good time to catch up on repairs and to start our cropping plans for 2010 season!

Nebraska by Brian Banks
Harvest is just getting started in eastern Nebraska.  Spotty rains have kept a few people from starting, but in most cases, the beans are still a little too green.  There has been some activity on high-moisture corn and silage, and farmers were happy with those results.  If it doesn’t rain this weekend, harvest will take off next week.

Central Iowa by Bob Collins
Harvest started in central Iowa before the rains came again. Bean yields range from 53 to 70 bushels/acre. One of my customers said his silage was about 10% better than last year, so it seems that our yields are going to be very favorable.

I would say that the side dressed corn looks better, and growers who applied a fungicide said it was very beneficial due to the late-season diseases that developed.

West Central Iowa by Travis Slusher
The crops are looking great in my area, and guys are excited to get the harvest season started.  A few soybeans that were taken out yielded between 50 and 60 bushels/acre.  We have yet to take out any GenuityTM Roundup Ready 2 YieldTM Soybeans, which are looking extremely good when compared to the RR1 planted alongside them.  Only a few farmers have taken out some corn; I heard their corn was running 260 b/A at 24%.  The corn needs some more time for dry down but guys are getting anxious.
Silage chopping is done and the last bit of hay is getting baled. If the weather cooperates, next week the machines will be rolling hard in my area.
I talked with a dealer in northern Dallas County who had just completed a field of L2658R that went 61 b/A at 12% moisture.  The soil type varies greatly on that field from good to poor, so on average, the soil type is fair.  He was very pleased with those results, so I’m eager to hear how that variety yields on his better soils.

Eastern Iowa by Brad Beatty
The light rain we received at the end of the week should help the beans and corn mature. No one has yet combined either crop; farmers in my area are chopping corn now.

Minnesota by Jason Obermeyer
Some early bean harvesting has begun with yield reports varying from low 40s to low 50s. Harvest will spread out more in the latter part of next week barring moisture events. Now is the time to check your corn fields.  While doing some yield estimates this week, I have found some instances of severe stalk rot that certainly can lead to harvestability issues. It’s better to have corn wet and in the tank than dry on the ground.

Wisconsin by Steve Bailie
Some parts of the state have begun harvesting. A few southern parts of Wisconsin cut beans this past week. In south central Wisconsin, a grower harvested our L2085R beans and the field ran 70 bushels/acre. Meanwhile, it will be another two or three weeks before farmers in the other parts start beans. In the northeastern part of the state, there are areas that have not had moisture for a critical period of time to fill bean pods with beans. There are many pods with only 1 bean counts due to lack of moisture.
Many local farmers are starting to gear up for high moisture corn, as well. Some of the fields that were hit by the hail in mid-July are dying off and are dropping ears. In many cases where this is happening, the corn has 24-28% moisture.  While this is not favorable moisture, they are still starting to combine since the ears are starting to drop.
Alfalfa is pretty much completed for the year. Many farmers who are going to kill their alfalfa for a new rotation are starting to do so this past week between the rains.

Northern Iowa by Tom Larson
The last few weeks have really magnified the stress and disease that some corn and bean fields have been exposed to.  There have been fields shutting down prematurely due to lack of moisture and various diseases.  Stalk quality in corn is another area of concern.  As the fall winds start to blow, be ready to harvest corn at a little more moisture to prevent dealing with lodged stalks. As always, please make safety your primary concern this fall.

North Central Iowa by Kevin Meyer
North Central Iowa received some much needed rain this week. At the time of this report, rainfalls of 3.5 to 4 inches are typical in the area for this week. Some soybeans were harvested last weekend. Yields have been reported in the range of 45 to 60 bushels/acre on a very small amount of harvested acres. It’s a little too early to establish an accurate yield trend for the area.  Corn harvest is much the same with scattered fields being opened up in the area.  Early comments are that yields will be similar to a year ago with a little more variability across the field than a producer would like to see. Harvest will be in full swing as soon as field conditions allow.

Northwest Iowa by Bruce Anderson

Things are moving along quite well in northwest Iowa. Dealers and farmer-customers are telling me their beans are ranging from 41 to 61 bushels/acre (b/A) with mostly around the 50 b/A mark. Areas that made 60 b/A last year are coming in the 50s this year, so it just depends whether your fields were in the right spot when the rains fell.

Northeast Iowa by Nick Benson

The crop here is progressing nicely.  Most of the corn is at black layer with some later planted fields still at milk stage.  The overall weather has been relatively favorable to drying, and it still looks like we are going to miss all threats of any freeze damage.  Silage harvest is around 50% complete and soybean harvest is about a week away.  There has been a lot of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and white mold in our region; this is going to be the main drawback to what appears to be a very solid bean harvest.  I have been looking at plots this past week, and a few hybrids in particular look exceptional.  I’m eagerly awaiting yield results to verify what I’m seeing in the plots.  As soon as I get the yield data, I will pass it along.