| Even if area farmers weren't finished with their fall field
work before this week, they're probably done now.
Rains during the past 10 days have left many fields saturated and it's
unlikely they will dry enough for farmers to do fall tillage work before
freeze-up.
Rain amounts across North Dakota and Minnesota during the past 10 days
have varied from 2.5 to 6 inches, county extension agents in the region
say.
"In November, it's unlikely we're going to get enough heat units
to dry up those wet areas," said Willie Huot, Grand Forks County
extension agent. That means farmers likely will have to wait until next
spring to finish their tillage work, putting them behind the eight ball
for planting season. Doing tillage work in the spring can result in
planting delays and yield reductions. Compounding the problem, crop
residue left on fields over the winter not only catches snow but also
seals the soil surface, increasing the time it takes for the fields to
dry.
Meanwhile, residue breakdown also is delayed and that ties up the
nitrogen crops need for growth, resulting in potential yield reduction,
Huot explained. Farmers can increase their nitrogen application to offset
the delay, he noted, but that means an added expense at a time when many
farmers already are struggling financially.
While most Pennington County farmers were able to harvest their crops
before the rains set in, farmers in other areas weren't as fortunate.
About 25 percent of the corn crop is left to harvest in Steele County,
N.D., where up to 5 inches of rain has fallen in the last 10 days.
"We could have used maybe another week and could have got all the
corn off," said Steele County Extension Agent Brian Gion.
Now farmers who have row crops left in the field aren't likely to get
them harvested until after freeze-up. That probably will mean a reduction
in quality and discounts at the grain elevator, said Huot, Grand Forks
County's extension agent.
And farmers can't get federal loan payments on their corn until it's in
the bin so they won't get any income from their crop unless it is insured,
Huot noted. |