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Throughout the year, there are numerous times when the weather ruins, delays, postpones, hinders or washes out events. It seems like the weather is the cause of a lot of bad news and little good news.
Yet this time, it is the weather that is the cause of the good news behind the above average harvest currently taking place.
“The corn harvest is about 80 to 85 percent complete,” said Ned Johnson, merchandiser for Producers Cooperative Association in Girard. “The soybeans are probably 25 percent in. It’s a pretty good crop, too. We’re guessing the soybeans will have about 35 to 40 bushels per acre. Typically, we have about 25 to 30 bushels per acre in our area.”
And that’s good news for Crawford County. Soybeans and corn are among the top crops in the county.
“There’ll be more soybeans than any other crop here. Those are a big deal for us,” said Dean Stites, county agent for the Kansas State Extension Service in Girard.
Stites noted that the weather has been the cause of the positive corn yield in the county.
“Corn harvest has been going off and on for the last month,” Stites said. “This week is really the first long term dry spell we’ve had for a while. It was too wet when people were trying to get the corn in the ground. It was planted too late. Normally, that’s a formula for disaster. But the rains kept coming in the summer.”
Johnson even noted the weather also had a positive effect on the soybean crop.
“We had good, ample moisture. The soybeans actually like warmer weather, but we didn’t get that,” Johnson said. “The slightly below average temperatures were helpful, because we didn’t see the soybeans get damaged by scorching temperatures we normally see. But it’s all meant that they were slower to develop and reach maturity.”
Stites noted that the beans did get slight damage from a bit of a frost throughout the county. But all told, all signs are pointing to a good crop.
Johnson said that helps compensate for other crops in the year.
“We’ve had three years that we’ve had less than good wheat crops,” Johnson said. “But for soybeans, last year we’ve had very, very good crops. This year, [the soybeans] appear to be good.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
Throughout the year, there are numerous times when the weather ruins, delays, postpones, hinders or washes out events. It seems like the weather is the cause of a lot of bad news and little good news.
Yet this time, it is the weather that is the cause of the good news behind the above average harvest currently taking place.
“The corn harvest is about 80 to 85 percent complete,” said Ned Johnson, merchandiser for Producers Cooperative Association in Girard. “The soybeans are probably 25 percent in. It’s a pretty good crop, too. We’re guessing the soybeans will have about 35 to 40 bushels per acre. Typically, we have about 25 to 30 bushels per acre in our area.”
And that’s good news for Crawford County. Soybeans and corn are among the top crops in the county.
“There’ll be more soybeans than any other crop here. Those are a big deal for us,” said Dean Stites, county agent for the Kansas State Extension Service in Girard.
Stites noted that the weather has been the cause of the positive corn yield in the county.
“Corn harvest has been going off and on for the last month,” Stites said. “This week is really the first long term dry spell we’ve had for a while. It was too wet when people were trying to get the corn in the ground. It was planted too late. Normally, that’s a formula for disaster. But the rains kept coming in the summer.”
Johnson even noted the weather also had a positive effect on the soybean crop.
“We had good, ample moisture. The soybeans actually like warmer weather, but we didn’t get that,” Johnson said. “The slightly below average temperatures were helpful, because we didn’t see the soybeans get damaged by scorching temperatures we normally see. But it’s all meant that they were slower to develop and reach maturity.”
Stites noted that the beans did get slight damage from a bit of a frost throughout the county. But all told, all signs are pointing to a good crop.
Johnson said that helps compensate for other crops in the year.
“We’ve had three years that we’ve had less than good wheat crops,” Johnson said. “But for soybeans, last year we’ve had very, very good crops. This year, [the soybeans] appear to be good.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
