IP Crop Network, October Report

This monthly feature from SSGA’s Agronomy Action Team highlights growing conditions for Identity Preserved crops from different regions around the country. Thanks to the states/regions that contributed this month. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with David Kee or Shane Frederick. You should also follow David Kee on Twitter for some of the latest, most-interesting information on agronomy and research that affect IP and other farmers.

Illinois
Crops in Illinois are coming out fast. There are a few folks finishing up with both corn and beans, but overall, around 65% of the beans and around 60% of the corn is harvested. Yields are all over the board with the general consensus being that yields are better than expected. There is significant rain in the forecast for the end of this week, but we have had one heck of a run on harvest weather.

In the next two weeks, most growers will be finished up with harvest and readily planning, working ground and applying fall fertilizers and chemicals. In the south, the winter wheat planting is well underway with around 50% of the acres planted.

– Scott A. Eversgerd, Field Agronomist – Southern Illinois, Pioneer Hi-Bred Int’l

Michigan
Soybean harvest has begun but is proceeding at a slow to moderate pace. Slow crop maturity has had the biggest effect to this point, but wet field conditions are now extending the delay. Dry down between R6 and R8 seems to be slower than normal. A few unofficial reports are showing average yields. Hopefully, the best yielding fields are yet to be harvested.

– Mark Seamon, Research Director, Michigan Soybean Committee

Minnesota
Minnesota is dry! Rain will be needed this fall to ease drought stress. According to the Oct. 5 drought monitor report, none of Minnesota is rated D4 (exceptional drought). Approximately 94% of the state is rated abnormally dry to extreme drought (D0-D3). Scattered areas across the state (7.6%) are rated severe drought (D3)

Due to the dry conditions, crop harvest is well underway in Minnesota. Small grains harvest is all but complete, with growers reporting better-than-expected yields. Quality is decent.

Minnesota edible bean harvest is almost complete with more than 90% in the bins. Corn grain harvest pace is ahead of the five-year average. Farmer reports for corn yields vary considerably; August thunderstorms, or lack thereof, were quite impactful.

Soybean harvest is in full swing. Excessive weed escape, soybean green stems and morning dews have impacted harvest speeds. Farmer yield reports vary from “pretty bad” to “much better than expected!”

Field work continues. Tillage happens when resources (drivers and tractors) are available, mostly until the morning dew evaporates. Scattered showers are softening some ground. Soil temperatures remain above 50^o F, limiting fall N fertilizer applications. However, P and K fertilizer is being applied. There is a great concern expressed concerning soil moisture availability in the spring.

– David Kee, Director of Research, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council

North Dakota
The harvest is progressing slowly in North Dakota. According to last week’s NASS report, about 23% of soybeans were harvested by Oct. 2. We had a few days of heavy rains last week, so the harvest did not progress as quickly as anticipated. We had about a week’s delay in harvesting.

The adverse weather also delayed harvest for crops such as corn, canola sunflower and others. Only 8% of corn acres were harvested by Oct. 2. About 22 % of canola and the majority of sunflowers had yet to be harvested. Winter wheat planting was underway, with about 65% were planted by Oct. 2.

The weather is promising this week. I anticipate that farmers can make good harvest progress. There are no new yield estimates, but the last USDA report estimated about 33 bu/acres of soybeans in North Dakota, which is slightly lower relative to 35 bu/acre yield in 2022.

– Miki Miheguli, Research Programs Coordinator, North Dakota Soybean Council

Missouri
Intermittent rains and cooler weather are the major stories for Missouri as we roll deeper into harvest. We have seen much cooler weather the past 10 days, and it has been great to not make it past mid-80s, which is a welcomed relief and giving the chill of fall. This past week, we had lows in the lower 40s and even some upper 30s in northern Missouri, so we should see the later-planted crops beginning the turn for harvest.

Hearing from our Missouri Soybeans field services coordinator, Dylan Anderson, and Baylee Asbury, Missouri Soybeans Director of Education and Outreach, who are both on the road this week visiting producers, the southeastern Missouri farmers are finished with soybeans or will finish with soybeans this next week and move straight to picking cotton. Some areas of the state have decreased moisture, so farmers switched out of corn to beans to reduce shattering loss. Overall, the perspectives on yield weren’t great early in the season, but the farmers are saying the yields are way better in beans. There are some seeing soybean yields in the range of 60 to 80 bu/ac for the good crop areas.

Per the USDA weekly report for Oct. 10, corn is 96% ready for harvest with 56% of the overall crop harvested, and 30% of the crop is rated as “good.”

Missouri soybean harvest is progressing with 97% of the crop dropping leaves and 27% of the crop harvested. The soybean crop has 38% rated as “good.” Missouri cotton has 92% open bolls and 23% of the crop harvested with 48% of the cotton crop rated as “good.” Southeast Missouri rice harvest is 79% completed. Missouri winter wheat planting is 14% completed with 2% of the winter wheat emerged. Our pasture and range land conditions are very dry, so the upcoming rains predicted across the state are needed/wanted.

– Bryan Stobaugh, Director of Licensing and Commercialization, Missouri Soybeans

Wisconsin

According to USDA-NASS, Wisconsin had 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Oct. 8. Corn finished the week with 67% of the crop matured and 9% harvested for grain. Corn condition was rated at 51% good to excellent, up 1% from last week. Corn harvest is slightly ahead of last year.

Soybeans dropping leaves were at 86%, which is 1% behind the five-year average and 4% behind the previous year. Soybean condition was 49% good to excellent, unchanged from last week. Soybean harvest was 27% complete, which is on par. This week, much more progress is anticipated, but rain is expected to slow down the harvest towards the end of the week.

Winter wheat planting progress is currently at 62%, with 38% of the winter wheat having already emerged.

— Shawn Conley, State Extension Soybean and Small Grain Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Note: To see state Crop Progress reports from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): click here.