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Crop yields strong; Corn, sunflower harvest ahead

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Corn yields are expected to be quite good this year, as has been the case for crops already harvested. Corn is one of the latest crops to be brought off the fields in North Dakota.

It appears this year’s growing season, buoyed by moisture left over from a record wet September a year ago, has resulted in a better than average yield. Reports from the area are that harvested crops have been better than average.

“Harvest 2020 has been pretty good. The guys are pretty much done with most of the wheat and canola,” said Dan Mostad, Berthold Farmer’s Elevator. “They’re about one-third of the way through the beans already, just marching along.”

Some early frost impacted beans that were not quite mature, but most of that occurred in the northwest part of the state, said Mostad. In the Berthold area frost had little impact on quality. Still to come is the corn and sunflower harvest.

“It looks like the guys are pretty happy with the corn, around here anyway,” remarked Mostad. “There’s some pretty good stands. They’ll move from beans right into corn. There’s not too many sunflowers around here but what is out there looks pretty good. Birds are making their way into the area so the growers will want to get those flowers off before the birds get at them.”

Soil conditions are quite dry in the Berthold area, as is the case over much of the western portion of the state. While dry conditions provided for good harvest conditions, growers are watching the conditions closely.

“We could use rain once we get done with the harvest,” said Mostad. “All that rain last fall made this year’s crop what it is. Quite a few guys want to do some fall tillage and rain would loosen that soil up a little bit.”

At the Renville Elevator Company in Tolley, Shawn Roering says the harvest has been a good one.

“It went real good. Everything came off in good shape with good bushels,” said Roering. “No corn or sunflowers yet. The corn looks nice and is getting dried down. Sunflowers? I would say the middle of October.”

Brad Bethke, Rugby Farmer’s Elevator in Willow City, says the harvest in that area has been good too.

“We don’t have any numbers or anything yet but, for the most part, it’s okay for soybeans, canola, wheat and flax,” said Bethke. “I haven’t heard much about corn. Everybody is still doing beans.”

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