Illinois harvest progressing ahead of average pace

Illinois crops matured above the average pace for most of the season, so it is no surprise to see some combines rolling a bit sooner than usual. But a drawn-out planting season could delay the start of harvest until October for some farmers.

USDA reported 7% of corn was harvested statewide compared to 5% at the same time last year, and the five-year average of 3% as of Sept. 16. Most of the crop (63%) reached maturity on the same date, 23 percentage points ahead of average.

Soybean harvest was 6% complete as of Sept. 15, well ahead of the average and last year’s pace of 1%. Meanwhile, 62% of the crop was dropping leaves, 31 percentage points ahead of average.

Crop Watcher Ryan Frieders of DeKalb County began harvesting soybeans on Sept. 11 and said it was the earliest start date on his farm since 2012.

“The soybeans were planted the last week of April and they were earlier to average maturing varieties for our area,” he said, noting that soybean moisture has been very low. “With no dew at night, harvest could have continued all night long as the bean straw never became tough.”

Frieders said yields are below last year and slightly lower than their 5-year farm average so far.

At the southern end of the state, Crop Watcher Ken Taake said harvest timing was about usual on his farm in Pulaski County.

“With the spread-out planting season, I thought it would be a long harvest season,” he said. “But with the dry weather in August and so far in September, crops are maturing rapidly.”

As of Sept. 17, he had more than one-third of his corn and 20% of soybeans harvested and noted slightly above average yields so far, but said the dry weather has put stress on the late-planted soybeans.

And even though harvest has started, an LG Seeds agronomist said field scouting duties aren’t over.

Robby Meeker, who covers east-central Illinois, said farmers should be scouting for disease, pests and intactness to protect corn yields.

When looking for leaf diseases, he said growers should pay close attention to the third, fourth and fifth leaf below the ear. “The majority of time, symptoms start below the ear,” Meeker said.

Farmers should also keep an eye out for anthracnose, which can rot stalks and cause stalk death above the ear in the weeks after pollination.

Meeker said at this point in the season treatment options are likely limited, but knowing what’s going on within your fields is important to prioritize which fields need to be harvested first and to plan for better results next season.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.