Tuesday, August 31, 2021
We got a rain on Saturday evening, then another yesterday evening… it amounted to over an inch! Late-August rain is a boost for the double-crop soybeans (DCB). I don’t think it will affect the corn yields much, for we can assume it’s already ‘made’ by this point on the calendar. It may boost soybeans a bit, helping to fill out the pods. All in all, the rain was a happy event. August rain has been unexpectedly abundant this summer–4.32″ (110 mm).
You can see today that the soybeans are definitely turning — more yellow than green now
One benefit of the rain is that the humidity is noticeably less today. Temps are predicted in the mid-80s rather than the recent days’ mid 90s! We are predicted to have 2-3 nights in the 50s! Relief! The more comfortable temps make for a more pleasant experience working in the shop to prepare the trucks for harvest. We are ‘almost there’ with our preparations. Only the truck we call “Vanna” remains to be prepared. It will need to be switched over from the water trailer to a hopper-bottom trailer.
The 712FC came into the shop the other day to be serviced and made ready for #harvest21
We used the water trailer a bit last Friday and Saturday to support the sprayer. We needed to put some Liberty herbicide on some areas of waterhemp in our DCB. With current herbicide chemistry, the old problem weed of marestail has nearly disappeared, but waterhemp remains difficult (although not impossible) to control. Our old nemesis, johnsongrass, seems to be a bit harder to contain this summer…
Waterhemp in soybeans. The red-stemmed plant with abundant seed heads at the top. From the genus Amaranthus.
Johnsongrass or Sorghum halepense It reproduces with both seed and rhizomes (underground stems).
Watching the monitor as the sprayer boom gets an air purge to clean it out when the spraying was completed
Ross is estimating the fall harvest beginning on the 11th, or very soon after. We will begin with some corn, and hope that the moisture level is <25%. We should have some soybeans ready sometime during the week of the 20th.
I anticipate the return of the JD 6130R tractor very soon. The last remaining part for repair finally arrived at the dealer yesterday afternoon! I am eager to return to roadside mowing, and hope to get that caught up before harvest.
A new radiator is being installed in the 6130R at the dealer
Looking forward to a busy fall season.
