With harvest season all wrapped up in Greene County, a local field agronomist looks back on a success and somewhat historic year.

Lanaus Cooperative Field Agronomist Dan Bjorklund says some Greene County farmers reported record corn yields, with an average range between 240-260 bushels per acre and for soybeans, average yields were 70-80 bushels per acre. He points out that lots of factors went into creating picture perfect environments including pest controls with timely applications to not as much heat stress on the crops.

“That sets the stage for almost ideal pollination for corn and the soybeans, and then also for retention of the kernels on your and we didn’t lose very many flowers (on soybeans). Most of the flowers in soybeans turned into pods and seeds per pod, and that’s how you get yields. So a great, great 2024 in Greene County.”   

Bjorklund illustrates that while having very little to no rainfall made the harvest season have 50-60 days with no interruptions, the opposite effect is happening when it comes to field prep for next year to apply anhydrous.

“We’ve got to get it dry enough so we can pull equipment effectively through the field and seal,  so that that anhydrous stays in the ground and we have time. But soon, you know it’s going to get colder and it’s going to get to the point where when the ground starts freezing obviously you can’t do that.”

Bjorklund adds that if field prep is not done before the ground freezes, that will make for more challenges next spring to get ready for planting season.