Thanks to Mother Nature, Farmers in Wisconsin Continue Fall Harvest in Slow Motion
Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019 -- 8:42 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -With only 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork last week, farmers in the Badger State continued to work on their fall harvest activity in slow motion.The Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service released its weekly crop/weather summary on Monday, which indicated that temperatures were below normal early in the week, then warmed up toward the weekend. Drizzly, overcast conditions and intermittent showers alternated with clear, sunny skies. Some progress was made harvesting corn silage, soybeans, hay, and corn for high moisture grain. But the agency says frustrations are rising among producers who continue to face delays. Topsoil moisture levels were rated 65 percent adequate and 35 percent surplus. No areas of the state were short of moisture. As of Sunday, 90 percent of the corn crop was dented and just 61 percent was reported mature. That's a whopping 25 days behind last year and 17 days behind the five-year average.
So far, only seven percent of the corn for grain was harvested, also lagging between two- to-three weeks behind normal. However, two-thirds of the corn for silage has been chopped. The soybean harvest is about a third complete. That's only a day behind last year and nine days off the average. Reporters put the crop at just 66 percent good to excellent condition. Just over half the winter wheat was planted as of the weekend, 11 days slower than the 2018 growing season. Emergence was estimated at 34 percent. Some farmers were still making hay, with fourth crop now 80 percent wrapped up. And fall tillage is running about two weeks behind schedule at 16 percent complete.
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