Oct. 20, 2011

Doug Anderson, extension educator in Keith, Arthur, and Perkins counties:  Corn harvest is well under way, but we’re still waiting for some fields to dry down. In non-hailed areas, yields are good with 100 bu/ac rainfed corn. Bean harvest is done and sugarbeet harvest is underway and appears to be about average. Conditions here are generally dry with just enough spotty rain to settle the dust. Wheat planting was timely and normal. Alfalfa was cut in early October and will have a little regrowth before winter. Alfalfa got a slow start last spring, but ended a little above average.

Keith Jarvi, extension educator in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston counties:  Soybean harvest is essentially complete, there are always a few stragglers but I would say it's 99% done. Corn harvest is going well with almost one-third out already. They are going full tilt and may be done by the end of the month, provided they can find a place to sell or store it, if the dry weather holds. Speaking of that, it is still abnormally dry and a few more dry days could get us back into the fire danger category. A few fields have been tilled.

Paul Hay, extension educator in Gage County:  Recent rains have helped reduce dust and fire risk as we move through corn harvest at a fast pace. Wheat fields are looking good and cover crop trials are greening up fields of early adopters. Soybean yields ranged from 30-60 bu/ac (average 45 bu/ac) on dryland and 50-70 bu/ac (average of 63 bu/ac) on irrigated fields. Corn yields have been from 70 to 180 bu/ac on dryland (average 125 bu/ac) and 170-250 bu/ac on irrigated (215 bu/ac).