Underway, at least partially in some areas, is harvest 2023 in the dryer areas with chopping and even some combining. From 40 to 140 bushels per acre in the same field is one of the reports that Pioneer’s outstanding Field Agronomist Troy Duetmeyer in Northeast Iowa has witnessed so far this fall. He says that will provide a challenge for combine operators as far as achieving an optimum setting to handle the drastically different cob and kernel sizes and moistures within 100 yards of each other in the same pass.
“Yeah it’s going to be a real challenge, so we really encourage guys to maybe spend a little less time looking at the yield monitor and maybe a little more time looking at the grain loss monitor and keeping in constant communication with the guy running the cart or drying the truck and seeing how we’re doing with threshing,” Duetmeyer said. “It does appear that in those areas that pre-maturely died there are some spongy cobs so we’re probably going to have to tighten up and speed up the combine and then watch our fan speeds so the lighter test weight kernels stay in the machine. So far we have been pleasantly surprised by some of the test weight’s I’m seeing.”
One thing that has been affirmed this year, according to Duetmeyer, is the importance of a strong fertility program as many field calls early in the season were termed ‘drought induced potassium deficiency,’ yet the soil tests confirmed simply low potassium levels, lots of moisture or very little aside.
