Yields Vary as Southern Michigan Harvest Stays Ahead of Schedule
USDA/NASS’s newest harvest update for Michigan has corn harvest at 18% complete and soybeans now 40% finished, and that seems to track what John Craft sees across southern Michigan. Craft is a Technical Agronomist for Channel Seeds who spoke with MAT Wednesday morning to provide our newest Channel Seeds harvest update.
Progress is well ahead of schedule, but yields are varied.
“Soybean yields have kind of been across the board from below average in parts where maybe they didn’t get those timely rains especially during soybean seed fill, so we’re seeing some small-seeded plants,” Craft said. “It definitely has the pod set still there but just didn’t fill out those beans in those areas and some yields are coming in around 40 bushels in some of those areas, but I’ve heard as high as 70-80 bushels where they had irrigation, or they just got those timely rains. So, across the board it’s just variable depending on when you got those late season rains during pod fill.”
He said corn yields are tracking above average especially considering the Michigan fall leading up to harvest.
“I would have expected a little more top end to be taken out, but again I would say above average on corn and guys definitely aren’t disappointed, but maybe they were a little more hopeful for a high yielding soybean crop this year.”
This year’s crop has dried down very quickly.
“Yesterday we ran some 114-day corn out of a test plot that normally doesn’t get to go to harvest, and it was below 20%. So, definitely that rapid dry down and we’re seeing that also in the soybeans with some green stem syndrome this year. Hot, dry weather can definitely cause that.”
Craft advises being mindful of stalk condition as harvest continues at a brisk pace. With dry field conditions he is also concerned about field fires popping up.
“I’ve heard of one at least in Michigan so far, so one of the best things you can do is just be mindful of your equipment,” he cautioned. “Make sure it’s in good working condition, you don’t have any bearings getting hot especially with high winds. Check your combines and equipment often and just make sure that you don’t have a buildup of any chaff near exhaust or other parts that can get hot. It’s just more of a safety watch out and also doesn’t hurt to have tillage equipment hooked up and ready to go.”
Hear more in the full MAT and Channel Seeds growing season update: