Follow the Field 2020 Update #21

No major updates this week, but lots of pretty fall pictures of the fields as they dry down and exhibit their rich brown and golden fall colors.

October 2, 2020 Update:

Soybeans (163 Days)

This field of soybeans changed a lot compared to last week. There are very few leaves left on the soybeans and most of the stems have turned from green to brown.

Just look at all those beans!

Lots of nice, plump pods just waiting for harvest.

Here’s one pod I pulled. Below is a photo of what it looks like inside.

See how the soybeans are significantly smaller than the spaces for them in the pod? That’s a sign they’ve dried down. Like I’ve mentioned before, the target moisture for soybeans is about 13 percent for optimal storage. You can use a moisture tester and get an actual reading to know where the beans are, but there’s also a bite test. Basically, if you bite down on the bean and it squishes, the beans aren’t dry enough. If the bean splits in two, they’re dry enough or pretty close to dry enough. The beans I pulled on the field edge split, but that doesn’t mean that the beans throughout the field are ready – often the edges will dry out more quickly than the center of the field because of air movement.

Harvest for us will probably start on Monday since it looks like there’s rain in the forecast for the weekend. Soybeans can go up and down in moisture with rain, so we’re not really concerned with them getting too dry right now.

Corn (143 days)

And here’s the corn!

I love how the golden kernels look against the drying green and brown corn stalks.

Like the soybeans, the edges of corn fields tend to dry out faster than the middle of the field. The outside of this field is all brown, but there’s still plenty of green leaves just a few rows in. Green doesn’t necessarily mean that the corn isn’t ready since we make that decision based on the kernel moisture content (sensing a theme here)? Corn needs to be 15 percent moisture for storage, but we like to harvest at 22 to 24 percent moisture and dry it to 15 percent in a large dryer at the elevator.

As corn plants die in the field, the ear actually moves to a different position. When ears are in active development, they are held tightly against the stalk and are upright in position. As you can see in the above photo, this ear as started to shift away from the stalk. This is a natural process of the corn plant’s life cycle. The ear will continue to shift away from the stalk until it’s facing downward. The leaves (husk) around the ear stay on and continue to protect the kernels (seeds) inside, but by facing downward, they can do a better job of shedding rain and protecting the kernels inside. We harvest the kernels but in nature, the plant would be protecting the kernels as seeds for the next growing season.

^ Upside down ears.

And, finally, a pretty sunset photo to round out this update. Hopefully harvest kicks off as planned next week and I’ll have some more exciting updates to finish out the season!