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Corn harvestability slowing harvest

Some farmers impacted by wetness this fall are finding the harvestability of corn more of a hindrance than saturated soils.

University of Minnesota Extension crops specialist Dave Nicolai says harvest in the Upper Midwest has been interrupted by rain, cool temperatures, and more recently, snow.

“And it seems once that (snow) gets into the leaves and husks, it becomes much more difficult to get it to a point where you can get the crop dry enough to get a combine through a field without causing problems.”

He tells Brownfield getting stuck and compacting soil is a concern, but the condition of the crop at harvest is keeping farmers at bay even when fields are fit.

“Wet leaves and husks tend to plug up the sieves on a combine, and that’s probably the biggest issue.  I think farmers are very reticent about going in the field and having that happen to their combine.”

Nicolai says fewer hours of sunlight further complicates dry-down with corn harvest running two weeks behind normal in Minnesota.

The U.S. corn harvest was 70 percent complete as of Sunday, compared to the five-year average of 83 percent.