Weather Places Crop Harvest in Unknown Territory

( 0 Votes )

Friday, 06 November 2009 19:03

Urbana, Illinois, November 2009 – With near record rainfall in October, Illinois’ harvest-season weather conditions are outside the experience of modern history, and more time will be required to fully evaluate the impacts, according to University of Illinois Economist Darrel Good. “The late planted and late maturing corn and soybean crops of 2009 are now experiencing one of the slowest harvest rates in modern history. As of October 25, the USDA reported only 20 percent of the corn crop and 44 percent of the soybean crop had been harvested,” Good said. Harvest has seen a more normal pace in the southern states of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Soybean harvest has been especially slow in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The pace of harvest has been near normal in Ohio. Some additional harvesting occurred during the week ended November 1, but the pace was likely very slow. The percent of the crop harvested will be reported in the USDA’s Crop Progress report, which will be released on November 2. “The Midwest is expected to be generally rain free this week and harvest should pick up speed as the week progresses. The pace will vary geographically, reflecting various levels of precipitation received last week,” Good said. “For soybeans, 20 to 24 percent of the crop was harvested during peak weeks. With perhaps 50 percent of the crop harvested by November 1, it still appears that harvest could extend into December, depending on weather conditions after this week,” Good said. The delayed harvest due to wet conditions raises several issues about the quantity and quality of the 2009 crop, particularly the corn crop. “Disease outbreaks, low test weights, above average field losses, and quality deterioration due to drying and handling a crop with high moisture levels have all been cited as potential problems. In addition, extreme weather conditions in some areas may result in more than the average amount of acreage that goes unharvested,” Good said. The USDA’s November 10 Crop Production report will provide an important benchmark for judging the yield impacts of poor harvest conditions. “However, the impact of a poor quality crop will be revealed over a longer period of time. Typically, the impact of corn quality on livestock feeding rates could be evaluated based on the December 1 inventory of corn, with higher feeding rates associated with poor quality. “With more than the normal amount of the crop likely to be unharvested by December 1, the estimate of December 1 stocks may be less reliable than in a more normal year. The March 1 inventory estimate, then, becomes more important,” Good said. For soybeans, the wet growing season in many areas along with higher moisture levels at harvest, may affect the relative meal and oil content of the crop. The industry will have information on relative yields immediately, but the monthly Census Bureau estimates of soybean crush and product yield will reveal the overall impact. “The impacts of late harvest and poor quality crops on production and use are often overestimated. It appears that may have been the case this year, with prices of both corn and soybeans dropping sharply with the forecast of more favorable harvest conditions. However, I think more time will be required to fully evaluate the impacts,” Good said. SOURCE: University of Illinois Extension < Prev   Next >