Louisiana Corn Harvest Progressing Rapidly

By Don Molino, The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network

LSU Extension Service Corn Specialist Dr. Dan Fromme at the Dean Lee Research Station just south of Alexandria reports this year's corn crop is close to 40% being completed.

"Yields still continue to look good," said Fromme. "We still think we might have a state average this year of 180-plus bushels per acre which would be right up there with some of our best crops we've ever produced."

Fromme also says the weather needs to cooperate in order to finish up harvest with sunshine and no rain for a while.

"We did just this past week get the final acres report and it looks like we're going to wind up this year around 483,000 acres," reports Fromme.

There has also been a lot more positive feedback on the corn crop this year than negative feed back, yet another plus for growers in 2017.  

"We got planted early and we did get some rain right after the corn emerged and some warm weather which allowed us to get off to a fast start.  And then we got some timely rains as the season progressed.  Probably been our best early season wether since the 2012 or 2013 crop," said Fromme.