Small Town News
Ways to estimate corn, bean yields
Email
Print
Tweet
CopyConnie's Comments
Fall is the time of year that I enjoy! I love the smell of the fresh, crisp air; watching the leaves change color; eating anything that has to do with pumpkin or apples; and watching the scenery as farmers go about harvest and start working with the fruits of their labor. We are approaching that time of year that every farm family I know anticipates-- harvest.
Many farmers are getting restless as they are waiting for their crop to "hurry up and mature" so they can begin to harvest. Harvesting comes in many ways. First, there is me rush to "hurry up and get it done". Then the joy and fulfillment is felt when one takes the bare field in me spring or fall and turns it into a crop that will feed both humans and animals; and then of course there is the happiness and relief of being done witii this year's field work.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about how the crops are going to yield this year. For those of you who don't have a yield monitor or would like to test it out or want something to do before harvesting, there are a few calculations you can use to estimate your yield. These estimates are based on average growing conditions and good grain fill. Corn is the easiest and most reliable crop to estimate.
For corn, figure rows per ear and kernels per row to give kernels per ear. Now figure the plant stand. One easy way is to count stalks in 1,000th of an acre on 30" rows. This is 17.5 feet. On 36" rows this is 14.5 feet. Now take the stand count from a given area and multiply by 1,000 to get stand count per acre. Now take the stand count per acre by kernels per ear to give kernels per acre. Then divide by 90,000 which is the average kernel count in one bushel of corn. This is your estimated corn yield. Remember this is only an estimate.
Soybeans are a little harder to estimate as they vary greatly in their germplasm. Count plants in 1,000th of an acre. This is 17.5 feet on 30" rows or 35 feet on 15" rows. Multiply mis figure by 1,000 to get stand count. Now figure average pods per bean and multiply by beans per pod and multiply by stand count to get beans per acre. Divide by 180,000 to get yield. Yield is based on 3,000 seeds per pound of beans. If you figure your beans at 4,000 seeds per pound, then divide by 240,000 instead of 180,000. Remember soybean estimates can vary a lot so do not count on the accuracy of these estimates.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the Turner County Extension Office at 297-3112.
Women in Ag conference Sept. 30
The annual Rural Women in Ag Conference will be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at me Spearfish Canyon Lodge near Spearfish.
On Sept. 30, a pre-conference workshop and meal will be held at the lodge and Latchstring restaurant. The workshop will focus on healthy meals, online social networking and planning your family's future. Fun night activities will ensue after the evening meal. Jewelry making, mini sewing projects, massages and just good old "girl time" will be had.
On Oct.l, Mary Kay Mueller will kick off the day with her keynote address followed by a workshop session. Then author Linda Hasselstrom will discuss the different types and benefits of journaling. The day will conclude with a presentation from the South Dakota State University Meat Science Lab. This interactive session will include fabricating the value cuts from me chuck that go into boxed beef and taste testing samples will be encouraged.
The conference will wrap up at 3 p.m. For more information and registration cost, contact the Meade County Extension office at (605) 347-2436 or e-mail meade.county@ sdstate.edu. The South Dakota Women in Ag also have a presence on www.facebook.com if you search South Dakota rural women.
Copyright 2010 Freeman Courier, Freeman, South Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2011 Freeman Courier Freeman, South Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
More from Freeman Courier