The average temperature for October in Ormstown was 7.9 degrees compared to 10.8 degrees last year and the ten year normal of 8.6.
Rainfall amounted to 82 mm or 3.2 inches which is in the normal range. After many unsuccessful attempts at a killing frost, we finally had ice on the water tub and a plant killing frost on October 18 and 19 which is nine days later than normal.
Heat units totaled around 3300 since May 9. The soybean harvest was delayed in some cases, depending on the variety and planting date, until after the frost. Corn harvest began in earnest by the middle of the month but due to the size and capacity of the harvesting equipment was 60 percent complete by the end of the month, but is apt to slow down now because the storage bins are full.
Yields have been phenomenal with a lot of reports of 6 metric tonne or 236 bushels per acre. The average yield is in the range of 5 to 5.25 tonnes which is 0.5 to 1.0 tonne above normal.
Forty years ago a good crop of grain corn was considered to be 2 imperial tons or 75 bus per acre. Soybeans have also exceeded expectations with 1.4 to 1.8 tonnes or 50 to 60 bushel per acre. Farmers have little to complain about this year but we will try to think of something!
By Peter Finlayson
