By Blake Jackson
For farmers, timing can make or break a harvest. Muddy fields, disease-prone crops, high winds, and equipment breakdowns can quickly turn a promising season into a stressful scramble.
To help producers plan more effectively, University of Missouri Extension offers Days Suitable for Fieldwork in Missouri, a guide drawing on 20 years of weather data to show weekly averages of workable days across the state.
The publication also provides formulas to estimate how much acreage can be covered each day and helps match equipment size to available field time.
“In a year where crop disease pressure was intense, we have a more difficult decision to make about what crop to take out first,” says Drew Kientzy, senior research analyst.
“Leaving standing corn in the field while harvesting soybeans carries the risk of wind damage, yield losses and a much more arduous harvest. An estimate of days available to harvest can make the decision to harvest corn on days fit to cut soybeans easier to swallow.”
Randal Stephens, MU Extension agricultural business specialist in southeastern Missouri, adds, “While November and even December can offer many days in the field some years, fall tillage and fertilizer application can leave little spare time. Estimating machine-hours and available days allows operators to plan labor needs to finish all fieldwork before the weather turns.”
Photo Credit:gettyimages-steve-greer
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Harvesting, Weather