Lee County, IA – Southeast Iowa farmers could face added expenses as they work to get their corn crops out of the fields.
Bob Dodds with ISU Extension says harvest season is underway in Lee, Des Moines, Henry, and Louisa Counties. He says farmers will try to get their corn out of the fields by mid-November to avoid freezing temperatures and rain.
Dodds says the moisture content of harvested corn could be a issue, though, for farmers.
Dodds says most farmers like to harvest corn with a moisture content of around 20%. He says the late planting season is resulting in corn with 25%-27% moisture content.
Dodds says that means farmers will have to pay more money for their corn to be dried to the point that it can be put into storage. He says the extra drying time could also slow harvesting.
Dodds says moisture content does not impact soybeans as much as it does corn. Dodds says harvesting of corn and soybeans normally gets underway in early October.