Harvest season is virtually over in Greene County and now the majority of farm fields are getting ready for next year.

ISU Extension Field Agronomist Mike Witt tells Raccoon Valley Radio the average yields for soybeans is around 60 bushels per acre, while the average for corn is about 200 bushels per acre. He says with harvest season at a close, farmers are doing field prep for next planting season by either tilling the land or applying anhydrous ammonia. Witt points out the drought conditions in Greene County are like a double-edged sword between harvesting grain and when to apply anhydrous ammonia.

“We are exceedingly dry and that changes some of the calculus a little bit when it comes to these things, ‘Figuring out when do I put it (anhydrous ammonia) on, how does that work?’ So any soil moisture we can get now is a good thing. Farmers like a drought, honestly, when they’re going to go out and harvest. What they have been able to do is they’ve been able to save a little bit of money on allowing their corn to stand and dry in the field, which is a very good benefit with prices of nitrogen and other things that they can help their bottom line by not having to have fuel costs to dry some of that corn.” 

Witt adds Greene County was ahead of the five year average for harvest this year, which was mostly due to the dryer conditions.