CORN HARVEST BEGINS IN EARNEST
Although a cool front toward the end of the week brought some rain and cooler temperatures, most of the week was hot and dry. There were 6.0 days suitable for field work. Declining moisture levels in corn jump-started corn harvest. The dry weather allowed cotton to make some progress, but it is still maturing at a slower than normal pace. Harvest of fall hay continued to be a major activity. Pasture condition deteriorated slightly due to lack of moisture.
Topsoil moisture levels were rated 2 percent very short, 29 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 18 percent short, 80percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.
|
Crop Condition % September 15, 2013 |
||||||
|
|
Very Poor |
Poor |
Fair |
Good |
Excellent |
|
| Corn |
TN |
0% |
2% |
13% |
42% |
43% |
|
US |
6% |
12% |
29% |
40% |
13% |
|
| Cotton |
TN |
2% |
6% |
24% |
51% |
17% |
|
US |
10% |
14% |
33% |
34% |
9% |
|
| Soybeans |
TN |
0% |
4% |
15% |
48% |
33% |
|
US |
5% |
13% |
32% |
41% |
9% |
|
| Pasture |
TN |
1% |
3% |
21% |
60% |
15% |
|
US |
17% |
20% |
29% |
29% |
5% |
|
|
Crop Progress |
|||||
| September 15, 2013 | September 8, 2013 | September 15, 2012 | 5 Year Average | ||
| Soybeans- Dropping leaves |
TN |
16% |
6% |
44% |
40% |
|
US |
54% |
11% |
26% |
35% |
|
| Corn-Mature |
TN |
67% |
42% |
97% |
83% |
|
US |
22% |
9% |
73% |
41% |
|
| Corn-Harvested |
TN |
21% |
10% |
77% |
48% |
|
US |
4% |
NA |
24% |
10% |
|
| Cotton-Bolls Opening |
TN |
15% |
7% |
78% |
61% |
|
US |
36% |
24% |
57% |
51% |
|
| Cotton-Defoliated |
TN |
1% |
NA |
29% |
27% |
| Cotton Harvested |
TN |
– |
NA |
3% |
3% |
|
US |
4% |
NA |
6% |
8% |
|
County Agent Comments
Corn harvest has begun in earnest. Moisture continues to be running high in most cases but getting better each week. Early group 2 soybeans have defoliated and are ready to harvest. Group 3’s are showing yellowing and beginning to drop leaves. Cotton is making some progress but still lagging behind in maturity. Tim Campbell, Dyer County
Corn harvest is beginning in the county with good yields expected. From discussions with farmers, cotton is in fair condition with very few bolls open at this time. Soybeans are looking good with good yields expected. J C Dupree, Lauderdale County
Farmers in Fayette County are needing a rain. It has turned dry. Corn harvest has started and yields so far have been good. Some beans have turned and some will be harvested soon. Cotton is also maturing and a field I checked yesterday was 50% open. Jeffrey D. Via, Fayette County
Producers are making some progress in corn harvest, but slow crop dry-down has everyone in low gear. Thunderstorms dropped varying amounts of precipitation on Thursday afternoon and brought cooler temperatures and lower humidity levels on Friday morning. Jeff Lannom, Weakley County
Several corn acres harvested this week. Reported yields are well above average. Some dry land acres averaging 236 bu. Lack of rain is really beginning to dry things out. Kevin Rose, Giles County
Lots of fall hay being cut. Corn silage harvest is completed and tonnage was reported as very good. Soybeans are looking very good. Ruth Correll, Wilson County
Dry hot weather dominated the bulk of the week, an isolated storm mid-week produced about an inch of rain in a small area of the southeast portion of the County. A cold front passing through Thursday evening produced scattered showers producing from a trace to nearly 0.4 inch of rain in isolated areas. Dry conditions have been the ticket for corn harvest with about 40% of the crop harvested. Hay producers are also taking advantage of dry conditions. The bulk of the single crop soybeans are shedding leaves, late planted wheat beans could use a drink especially those blooming and trying to fill pods. Ed Burns, Franklin County
Dry for the past 10 or so days for the majority of the county. Few scattered showers. Makes for good harvesting conditions. Has affected the condition of late pastures, especially with heavy grazing. S. Chadwell, Putnam County
We are definitely getting dry in Monroe County and could use some moisture. This dry spell is helping farmers harvest hay and we have had about two weeks of great hay making weather. Jonathan Rhea, Monroe County
