Filed under: Ag education, agriculture, Corn, Fall, Farm, harvest, Minnesota, rain, weather | Tags: Corn, corn diseases, farm, rain
It’s been a wet year in our part of Minnesota. We have never been short of moisture at any time this year, in fact most of the year we have been wet. The rains come and do not turn off. Getting field work done has been hard. Now as the fall harvest is nearing, corn farmers are wondering is my corn maturing,
or dying?
Every year as harvest nears a host of rots and diseases move into our corn stalks to start the breakdown of dying corn plants. Sometime they move in too soon and the corn dies before it matures. Then you have a mess like in the second picture above. Modern corn varieties are less susceptible to many of those diseases and rots, but when too much water kills off the corn before it matures, the rot takes over.
In about a month we will be into harvest. If too much of our corn is down and rotting, we will have reduced yields and difficult harvest conditions. Then we will know the answer to our question, is that corn crop maturing or dying?
Well, yesterday’s blog shows just how hard it is to predict the weather. We were forecast to get inches and got just a few tenths of rain. All of the heavy stuff moved east and south. Now it’s not as if we really needed more rain, we’re doing very well on that front, thank you. It’s just that those folks east and south of us are already under flood conditions. Oh well.
There has been a steady drip here. It’s just wet enough that being outside means you get wet. Try to wear a jacket to keep off the rain and your sweat makes you just as wet as if you had not worn a jacket. Really soggy out there.
So the moral of the story, If the weatherman says it is going to do something, it will usually do something else. What a job.
It is rare that the National Weather Service is this adamant that we are going to get wet, not only wet, but lots of water. For several days now they have us as 100% chance of getting rain starting tonight and rain for 24 hours after that. Then they tell us it could be as much as an inch and a half an hour. Yep, we are going to get wet.
That forecast means a bit more of hurry in our step. Things have to be done “now.” Since we have moved into a wet pattern “now” can be hard to do at times. Wet fields do not lend themselves to getting things done “now,” they tend to get our equipment stuck. Still the spraying did get done today, and most of the hay we had cut did get baled, so let the rain come.
There are still things to do, but they will wait. This weeks “now” is past. We’ll get going on next weeks items as soon as it dries up a bit.
Filed under: Corn, Farm, Minnesota, planting, rain, seasons, Soybeans, spring, weather | Tags: Corn, Planting, rain, Soybeans, spring, spring rains
After a below normal moisture winter and early spring, the rains have begun to come. We’ve had a little sun, a little rain, and not much for heat. Still corn is beginning to emerge and soybeans to sprout. Every time we get a dry period I see more and more fields that have been planted. We are by no means done with planting here in Southwestern Minnesota, but we are getting closer.
The lack of heat is causing some distress for the corn plants that have emerged. Long periods of cloudy wet weather leave young corn plants looking a bit yellow. Then we get a dry, warmer day or two and the corn plants get a chance to green up as they draw nutrients out of the soil.
Topsoil moisture conditions have improved greatly. Now they are almost a bit too wet when you dig down a few inches. Still the subsoil areas are dry and that keeps the water on the top moving down. I’ve even seen some recovery of small ponds and creeks as the rains continue. That is really good news.
I’m just about done with planting soybeans. I’ve been waiting for a tile repair crew to come into the last area I have to plant. That crew showed up yesterday, and today it rains. So now I wait for a bit more dry and some heat. Once the soil conditions are right I only need part of a day to finish planting. We’ll get the planting done when the weather allows.
Filed under: Corn, Farm, Minnesota, planting, rain, Soybeans, weather | Tags: Corn, dry spell, Minnesota, rain, southwestern minnesota, Soybeans, spring rains
We’ve been in a bit of a dry spell here in Southwestern Minnesota. Our winters snowfall was well below normal and spring rains have been few and far between. This dry spell has allowed us to make record planting progress on our corn and soybeans despite cooler temperatures.
Frankly, I have been more than a little concerned about the dry. Rivers, creeks and lakes are at low levels. Field tile have had some water in them, but not much. Any stirring of the soil surface has created lots of dust. There is some moisture in the soil, but is it enough to keep the crops going? We needed rain!
Today’s weather has helped that immensely. In the last 24 hours we have now had about nine-tenths of an inch of rain. Mostly it came down slowly, just drizzling out of the sky. There were a few episodes where the sky cut loose, but not many. This is just what we needed. Crops will now be off to a good start. When will it rain next?
Filed under: Ag education, Corn, dust, Farm, planting, rain, spring, tillage, weather, weather sayings, weather wisdom, wind | Tags: Corn, dust, Planting, rain, Soil conditions, weather
After two consecutive years of planting in muddy conditions this year was so different, and so easy. I do not ever remember planting going start to finish so fast. Soil conditions were perfect, the weather was warm and the wind was even bearable.
The old adage is “Plant in dust, your bins will bust. Plant in mud, your crops a dud.” This year was definitely a year for planting in dust. We had little to no moisture in the top inch or two of soil and precious little under that. Every time you work soil you dry it out so I did as little soil moving as possible. Still I worry that some of my seed may be in dry ground.
Now we wait. When will we be able to see rows of corn popping through?
This springs temperatures stayed cold for a bit too long, but when they broke we went right to hot and windy, but little rain. I am resisting going right to soybean planting for now, but if it is dry again next week, I’ll plant soybeans also. In the mean time I watch for rain clouds and read weather reports. We need some rain.
Filed under: Ag education, cold, Corn, Farm, frost, love, Minnesota, planting, seasons, spring, Trees, weather | Tags: Agriculture education, cold, Corn, farm, Minnesota, nature, Planting, rain, science, spring
It’s April 23, the day the University of Minnesota says those of us who farm in Southwestern Minnesota should start planting corn, but there is still a chill in the earth and I will wait.
The last few mornings have found ice in the cats water dish. Frost on roofs and grass has been obvious. Stick a thermometer into the earth and it will show temperatures still in the 30’s. This is not where I want my seed to be.
I have not as yet seen one dandelion bloom. Crocus, tulip and other early bloomers are not yet budding. Only my pear tree shows blooms, the apples do not, and few trees even show the smallest of leaves. The trees tell me it is cold out there.
4/23/2015 pear tree in bloom
There were a few days over a week ago when we had some warm weather, then the insects were out, but most days are bug free. Because there are no bugs there are no barn swallows. Barn swallows swooping around eating insects are a sure sign that the ground is finally warm enough to plant. Yep, all signs say it is still cold in that dirt.
So when will I start planting? I’m not sure yet, but come Monday I’ll check and see how things are going. Frost is finally out of the forecast, but temperatures are not all that warm yet. Also rain is in the forecast for the next few days, that will also slow us down. If we get into May and have not yet started planting then the calendar starts to come into play. We need to get that corn planted by May 10.
Filed under: Farm, Minnesota, planting, rain | Tags: agriculture, Minnesota, rain, spring
It’s looking as if there will be a dry start to this planting season. We went through winter with little snow and have had insufficient rain to really make a difference yet this spring. We do have enough water to get crops started but how long that will last depends on future rain events. Our area of southwestern Minnesota is on the edge of the driest ground getting just a bit below normal rainfall for this month.
Large areas of Minnesota are in need of rain which is a large departure from the last two springs when we had wet fields in spring.
Filed under: Ag education, dust, Farm, Minnesota, snow, tillage, Trees, weather, wind, winter | Tags: Agriculture education, cold, dirty snow, farm, Minnesota, rain, science, snow, soil, weather, wind, winter
We’ve had a series of days with thawing temperatures and our snow is not white anymore, it’s very dirty.
Every snowflake has a bit of dirt in it, gathered as it forms, our snow here in Southwestern Minnesota has more than it’s share. The winds of winter have been moving dirt along with the snow. Now that it is melting, the dirt is left on the top.
We went into winter with dry topsoil. Then the normal process of freezing soil squeezed more moisture out. When our prairie winter winds come the soil starts to move. Most of that soil doesn’t move far. It falls behind some bit of plant material in the field or a low spot between dirt clumps. Other bits may blow as far as the road ditch or a grove of trees. Some little bits will stay airborne and help to start new snowflakes and rain drops. It’s all part of the process of wind rain and snow.
Farmers in our area have come a long way since the dirty thirties. Back then when you plowed ground you left it “smooth as a babies bottom.” Smooth soil moves easier. Today, farmers take pride in keeping winter soils rough with plenty of plant material sticking up. Many will not till fields so they can help hold their soil. We are well aware that soil is hard to replace, we need to keep it in place so our children can earn an income here also.
We’ll have white snow again before winter is over, it’s only January and there is lots of winter left. Still I enjoy seeing some of that snow melt before spring, I just don’t like dirty snow.
Filed under: Farm, harvest, rain, Soybeans | Tags: farm, harvest, rain, soybean fields, soybean harvest, Soybeans
Today it is raining, but that’s alright, I have nothing ready for harvest anyway.
Here’s one of my soybean fields. Although it is mostly brown, it is not yet ready for harvest.
I’ve been watching the neighbors. Some have soybeans that have matured and they have those fields out. Some have soybeans that are over a week away from ready. Most in our area are like me, we’ll be harvesting in just few days.
Right now a little rain is not a bad thing. It helps keep the soybeans that are ready in the pod. The rain will give those soybeans that are not yet ready a chance to catch up and mature so they can be harvested at the same time.
Soybean seeds form in a thin pod that will open if conditions are too dry and hot. Too much rain will damage the pods also, so we run a fine line between too much and too little. There are so many ways to lose a crop it’s amazing that we succeed so often. In the mean time, I’m just waiting for my crops to mature so I can start harvest.
Minnesota Farmer 