Dry fall gave a boost to harvest

The summer of 2020 was rough on crops, with an extended drought that dried up some crops and the August derecho that flattened crops in affected areas.

However, the weather during the fall harvest was a boon for farmers.

'We had a lot of great days this year,” said Farm Bureau Regional Manager John Sandbothe, whose territory includes Henry and Jefferson counties. 'It was much needed, especially with the drought conditions we faced.

'Overall, it was one of the better ones.”

Iowa State University Extension Agronomist Virgil Schmitt agreed.

'The dry fall allowed farmers to harvest non-stop,” Schmitt said.

Sandbothe said that his territory in Southeast Iowa was fortunate that the derecho did not hit the area and that drought conditions were not as severe as in other parts of the state.

'The yields weren't record-breaking,” he said. 'I'd say they were above average for most people in our area.”

Schmitt said that farmers who were impacted by the derecho were helped by the extended period of dry fall weather.

He said that corn that was flattened by the derecho had to be harvested in only one direction, which takes more time.

'They were able to accomplish that without a whole lot of hurry,” Schmitt said.

Sandbothe recalled last year's wet harvest season.

'Last year, the rain wouldn't shut off,” he said. 'We couldn't get into the fields to combine.”

Farm Bureau Regional Manager Jerry Anderson, whose territory includes Washington County, said that fall tends to be the wettest time of the year, regularly creating harvest issues for farmers.

'This year, we didn't have that kind of rain,” Anderson said. 'We were able to just move forward.”

He said that the soybean crop especially benefited from the dry fall weather.

'You have to wait for the dew to come off before you can get in and combine,” Anderson said. 'When you don't have added moisture, you can get in the field.”

The favorable fall weather not only helped with the harvest, but also helped with getting fields ready for spring planting.

'We got the crop out and were able to get fertilizer and cover crops in,” Anderson said. 'When we finally did get some rain, the cover crops came right up.”

Schmitt said that it took some pressure off the spring planting season.

'The more we can do in the fall, the less we have to do in the spring,” he said.