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Tar spot, nitrogen deficiency causing early harvests

A Michigan agronomist says now is the time for farmers to scout for stalk integrity as harvest season approaches about two to three weeks ahead of normal.

Charles Scovill with Golden Harvest Seeds tells Brownfield it’s amazing to already see some grain combines moving in the middle of September.

“Some of this has died early due to a combination of nitrogen loss and tar spot,” he says.

Scovill says corn silage harvest also ran earlier than normal with growers reporting phenomenal yields but harvest challenges like lodging could quickly get out of hand.

“It’s definitely a very profitable idea to take the time and go scout field by field to start to think about which fields you’re going to want to take a little earlier,” he recommends.

Scovill says some early soybean harvesting is also taking place in southern Michigan which is unusual for this time in the season but recommended following dry conditions.