Reaping headaches

During a regular harvest season, Clinton County farmer Ty Brown doesn’t worry about drying crops.

“Some years, we get by without drying a kernel,” he said. “But now we have the dryers running 24/7.”

This year, the combination of delayed planting, a cool summer, an early freeze and a wet fall has created challenges not seen for more than two decades, according to Purdue University Extension officials.

Because of moist crops, corn and soybean farmers are lagging nearly a month behind harvest schedule and facing challenges such as mold, storage and how to sell their harvest.

According to the Indiana Weekly Crop Progress and Condition Report released Monday, the corn harvest is nearly a month behind schedule, and only 28 percent in the state has been harvested.

Last year at this time, 72 percent of the corn crop had been harvested. The five-year average is 75 percent.

“We are in an unprecedented situation in terms of recent history,” said Bruce Erickson, Purdue cropping systems management director.

To help farmers navigate this peculiar season, Purdue is offering tips and scheduling a phone-based question-and-answer session Monday.

“Because of advances in hybrid and grain drydown, farmers have not had to dry grain very much for many years,” said Erickson, who will host Monday’s session. “They aren’t quite used to this. So we want to remind them of some issues.”

One such issue is how to dry wet grain. Moisture in corn and soybeans is sending farmers to grain elevators or to fire up their own drying facilities.

Matt Roberts, a Purdue extension associate, said wet grain requires more time to dry. It also reduces capacity and increases the power required to operate augers, bucket elevators and drag conveyors.

Drying soybeans too long can cause them to split. That can lead to difficulties later when they are stored.

Giving producers marketing considerations also will be discussed during the session, Erickson said.

Soybean price premiums for delivery into the late fall and winter are small, so producers could consider favoring pricing at harvest. But corn has larger premiums for later delivery, and so storing to sell later could yield a better return.

The soybean harvest is faring a little better, but it is still behind pace. According to Monday’s crop report, 63 percent of the soybean acreage has been harvested, compared with 90 percent at this time last year. The soybean five-year average is 89 percent.

For now, producers are hoping November stays dry and warm.

“From now to Thanksgiving, if we have warm, dry weather, we will be in good shape,” Erickson said. “But if not, it will be tough for some farmers.”