Soybean harvest is in full swing here in Henry County and across most of the Buckeye State as warm, dry weather over the past few weeks have really increased leaf drop and pod dry down rate. I am hearing reports with yields ranging from 35 to 60 bushels per acre, with moisture anywhere from 9 to 13 percent thus far. Once again, keep those yield reports coming, as I am interested in hearing what coming off the fields.
As the combine runs across the field in many instances there will be a great deal of weeds and weed seed ran through the combine. I completed the fall weed soybean weed survey a week or so ago by driving around the county and scoring 81 fields that totaled about 3,550 acres. Of those fields 27% were clean, while marestail, grass, volunteer corn was present in 35, 24, and 26 percent of fields, respectively. Both giant and common ragweed were the next most frequent weed species in 13 and 19 percent of fields. In order to have better control over the broad leaf weeds in soybeans, especially marestail, it is recommended to change seed traits to a different herbicide program each time soybeans are in the planting rotation. Liberty Link and any of the Dicamba programs have been shown to provide very good control of marestail.
Now in harvest season it is also an opportune time to remind everyone to be safe out on the roads. With combines, tractors, and trucks out and about, we all need to be patient when sharing the road with farm equipment. We hope the everyone has a safe and successful harvest.
Also, with regards to harvest safety I have shared an article on tips to prevent combine fires to my new weekly newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter via email give us a call or visit u.osu.edu/henryag and subscribe on-line to receive a weekly update on what is happening in the world of agriculture.
Lastly, for those who will be planting wheat, we are a handful of days past Septenber 23rd, the fly free date for Henry County, minimizing the chances early establishment of foliar fungal disease spread by the Hessian Fly. The best time to plant wheat is in the 10 day period after the fly free date, therefore consider planting wheat in those early harvested bean fields, if feasible.
I’ll end this week’s column a bit of wisdom from Henry Ford who said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Have a great week.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 10 – Master Gardener Meeting
Garth Ruff,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator
OSU Henry County Extension