As area farmers wrap up preparation for harvest and get ready to enter the fields across North Central Iowa, Iowa State University Extension is reminding farmers and drivers to focus on safety. Extension Field Agronomist Angie Rieck-Hinz emphasizes the importance of pre-harvest maintenance on farm equipment.
“…it’s been kind of dry as of late. We have a lot of corn leaf disease, right? A lot of extra rust spores in the air still until this disease turns, until this disease stops uh impacting plants. And even though there’s a lot of corn crop that’s already dead or mature from this uh Southern rust, I think it’s gonna be a long dusty fall. So I’m really trying to think about uh safety, right? So I want people to… Just a reminder, not only are you having your combine tuned up, but think about those fire extinguishers on your combine, get those prepped now, have them checked out.”
Rieck-Hinz notes that this year’s disease-affected corn and soybean residue may complicate harvest, making proper residue management critical for next year’s planting.
“…make some time to, you know, not only look at the combine operations, but uh take a look at what’s coming out of the back of that combine, right? Sharp, keep those knives sharp on your chopper. Make sure that you’re spreading the residue, the width of the combine head for even distribution, right? uh And then just think about, uh we have a lot of vegetation out there. We had a lot of rain this year, the corn in some cases is exceptionally tall. So there’s more residue out there. So just think about uh managing that residue coming out of the combine for even distribution. So just some pre-harvest thoughts before we get busy in the field.”
She also urges drivers to be cautious and patient on roads as harvest-related travel increases and agricultural workers move from field to field, noting we all want to make it home safely. With careful equipment checks and awareness on the roads, farmers and motorists can help ensure a safer, more productive harvest season.
Rieck-Hinz made her comments on the September 3rd edition of the Extension Report podcast, available in the RadioOnTheGo mobile app.
