NAPERVILLE, Ill., Oct 19 (Reuters) – Harvest continued last week at a solid clip for most of the U.S. Crop Watch producers. Three more of the 16 subject fields – the corn in North Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois – were completed, and just two fields remain.
Using projected harvest dates for the corn in Nebraska and Ohio, the average harvest date for the Crop Watch 2020 fields is Oct. 6, a week earlier than in 2018 but nearly three weeks earlier than last year. The farmers largely attribute this year’s brisk pace to the dry finish, but fields are now exceptionally dry, elevating the need for moisture replenishment during the winter.
The growers have been rating yield potential each week on a scale from 1 to 5. Scores of 1 or 5 represent yields close to or exceeding 15% below or above average, while 2 and 4 are assigned to yields around 5% to 10% from the recent field average.
Picture Source: Darrell Smith
