SHELBYVILLE, IL. — After still working to bring in the harvest in November last year, this year many farmers have started cutting corn before Labor Day.  Duane Uphoff said he started picking corn last week and the moisture levels are better but the yields are not.

“The moisture levels have been good, coming in at 15-18 percent but yields are down from last year,” said Uphoff.  “We have been averaging around 120-145 bushels per acre and on one field where corn followed soybeans we averaged around 180 bushels per acre (bu/ac).”

The Corn Growers Association says the average for corn should be 183 bu/ac.

Uphoff said he will continue cutting corn as long as the weather holds out.

“The corn may be too dry by the time we finish and the elevators don’t pay a premium for drier corn.”

Most grain elevators want the corn to come in their elevators at around 15-16 percent moisture.

Shelby County Extension Unit Manager Jim Looft said he and Tom and Stacy Cole and the Lola Bottrell farm harvested the extension corn variety demonstration plot on Tuesday, August 31.

“We were a little bit surprised  after hearing a lot of the yield reports about how yields are up and down and all over the board, we didn’t know what to expect, and when we got done it actually turned out better than last year‘s plot,” said Looft.  “Last year we averaged over the whole plot 216 bushels an acre and this year we averaged 221, which is a 5 bushel increase.

Looft said the “check” which is the variety that wins the contest and is used to compare the other varieties was 236 bu/ac,  which was 6 bu/ac higher than last year.

“The field varies so you must  have some way to referee that,” continued Looft.  “The check was about 3 bu/ac short of setting a new individual high, which was quite surprising.”

Looft said he has heard yields in the county coming in at any where from 130 bu/ac to 250 bu/ac.

“Some folks said they have better spots in the field this year than they had last year, but they may go a ways and get back into a spot that is not as good,” Looft said.

Looft said the moisture content is drying down pretty good.

“We have heard moisture content from probably 15-16 percent to 23-24 on the high side.

A lot of corn is coming in at right around 20-21 percent and they can generally handle that with air in the bin with the kind of weather we have now, rather than having to put a lot of propane on it.  That is a good thing.”

Peggy Martz of the Effingham Clay Service elevator in Shelbyville said harvest has started for them on Monday, August 30.

“We don’t have lines yet, so far just 2-3 trucks at a time,” said Martz.  “The moisture content has been running between 16-19 percent.”

Looft said he believes a lot of farmers are waiting until after Labor Day to start harvesting.

“Most are not really pushing hard because we are way early.”

He said in comparison to last year the plots were planted June 2 and harvested November 5, and this year they planted the plots April 13 and harvested August 30.

“This year we ran the field in 139 days and last year, I think it was 156 days.  Quite a bit of difference,”

Looft said he would estimated the harvest is less than 10 percent in Shelby County.

“Most of the farmers are getting ready for harvest now, there is a lot to do and it is still warm and that work on combines and bins is hot work.”

Looft said by being so far ahead of themselves farmers can take their time and be safer.

“This year we should be able to set ourselves up for a really safe harvest and take our time.  The beans are not pushing us either and probably will not be ready by the time we are done with the corn.”

He said the south part of the county had some timely rains which should produce good yields.

“If that is the case, a lot of times that really brings the county average up.  It could be a pretty good year.”