News

Dry weather allows Missouri corn harvest to advance

Dry weather in Missouri allowed harvest to advance. The USDA says 93 percent of the corn is mature, and corn shelling is 38 percent done.

Kevin Hurst, who farms in northwest Missouri was forced out of the field by weekend rain, but figured he’d be combining again by Monday afternoon.  Some of Hurst’s first harvest was early planted corn that pollinated when it was 95 degrees.

“And so the yield was not as good as what I’d hoped,” Hurst told Brownfield Ag News Monday.  “It was in the 150 [bushels per acre] range, but we’ve moved to some longer term and it’s in the 180 range, so I think overall we’re going to have a pretty solid yield.”

With rain interruptions, Hurst is concerned that harvest may be extended beyond what was expected.

“I’m afraid we’re going to have a little trouble getting rid of the corn we don’t have bin room for, and so with the moisture extending everything, I’m a little bit concerned that it might be a long harvest.”

Western Missouri farmer Kurtis Gregory tells Brownfield he’s shelling corn at 16 percent moisture and his yields are 30 to 40 bushels more than his actual production history.

“The field I’m in currently I think will go 210 to 215 [bushels per acre], so all-in-all I can’t be disappointed with it,” said Gregory, from his combine cab Monday.

Gregory is also pleased that the weather has changed.

“I’m just really liking the cooler temperatures,” said Gregory, “and we missed all the rain that a lot of people got over the weekend, so I was really happy about that because the fields are still pretty wet from what we got a couple of weeks ago.”

Missouri’s corn condition is 76 percent good to excellent.

Soybeans turning color reached 76 percent, with harvest 5 percent done.  Soybeans are 76 percent good to excellent.

AUDIO: Kevin Hurst (4 min. MP3)

AUDIO: Kurtis Gregory (4 min. MP3)