A break in Wisconsin’s winter-like weather helped farmers crawl forward with the harvest. But that crop’s going to cost farmers in the way of drying expenses.
According to the Wisconsin Ag Statistical Service, as of Sunday – ninety-three percent of corn was reported mature. Harvest of
corn for grain was 44 percent complete, 21 days behind last
year and 18 days behind the 5-year average. Corn condition
was 65 percent good to excellent, 2 percentage points below
last week. Corn for silage harvest was 95 percent complete.
The moisture content of corn harvested for grain was reported
at 24 percent. That’s an important item to pay attention to! Normally, farmers want corn around 14.5% moisture for storage – so this number explains the high demand for propane! University specialists advise that corn at 23% moisture content required approximately 150 gallons of propane per 1,000 bushels of corn to dry down to 15% moisture content.
Soybean harvest was 77 percent complete, 14 days behind last
year and 20 days behind the average.
Winter wheat was 84 percent planted. Sixty percent of winter
wheat had emerged, 24 days behind last year and 25 days
behind the average.
The fourth cutting of alfalfa hay was 92 percent complete.
Fall tillage was reported as 36 percent complete, 14 days
behind last year and 21 days behind the average.
The other big unknown in Wisconsin is how much manure management’s taken place. Farms are challenged to try and harvest the crop, and immediately work to apply manure nutrients back to those harvested fields so they have ample space for winter manure storage.
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