INDEPENDENCE - The vast majority of combines and corn pickers have went back into hibernation as Iowa's harvest winds down.

Monday's weekly U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report indicated the state's soybean fields are bare and only 9 percent of the corn crop is standing. If last week's progress is any indication - farmers harvested 11 percent of the corn crop - the 2005 growing season should be history by Sunday.

The report said farmers are switching gears, trading grain carts for chisel plows. Fall tillage and fertilizer application is under way in earnest, as farmers ready fields for next year's crop before the ground freezes.

Russ Fischels, who farms in between Independence and Jesup, finished what he considers one of his best harvests a little more than a week ago. Fischels spent most of Monday locating old clay tile lines in certain areas. He'll eventually replace them with new lines.

Portions of some fields aren't properly drained because the old tiles aren't working, there isn't enough of them or a combination of the two occurred.

"That's the nice thing about yield monitors. You know where those spots are," Fischels said.

Despite these yield-robbing problems, Fischels still brought in a record harvest. Corn averaged between 225 bushels per acre in high-quality soil to 160 bushels per acre on marginal land. Soybeans primarily averaged in the 50s, with some fields topping 60 bushels per acre.

"The soybean crop was about as good as I ever had. The little bit of rain we did get was at the right time," Fischels said.

Fischels said most of his neighbors are done harvesting. Only a limited amount of corn remains, he said.

Corn harvested last week averaged 15 percent moisture, according to the report. That's three percentage points better than last year at this time. Farmers are saving money by not drying corn as much.

Corn lodging - stalks bent over - is rated 61 percent none, 27 percent light, 9 percent moderate and 3 percent heavy. Ear droppage is rated 68 percent none, 25 percent light, 6 percent moderate and 1 percent heavy.

With 6.5 days suitable for field work last week, farmers took advantage of the nice weather. Fischels said he's half done chisel plowing corn-on-corn acres. Fall fertilizer application was 32 percent finished as of Sunday, which is 6 percent higher than the five-year average.

A lack of soil moisture is starting to become a concern, especially south of Highway 20. George Cummins, Iowa State University Extension crop specialist based in Charles City, said some tile lines are running in the northern portions of the area, indicating a full soil moisture profile. The opposite is true elsewhere.

South of Hudson, a soil moisture test recently revealed about 4 inches of water available in the top five feet of soil. A full profile is 12 inches, Cummins said. This time of year, it's typical to have 8 or 9 inches in the ground.

It takes about 23 inches of moisture to adequately raise a corn crop. Cummins said local farmers shouldn't worry about a lack of water yet.

"If you start out with 10 or 12 inches, you only need the other half to be scattered out through the growing season and you're home free," Cummins said. "(Some areas) are going into the winter dry. It's just something to think about."

Last week, the state's topsoil moisture rated 26 percent very short, 32 percent short, 40 percent adequate, with a 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 30 percent very short, 30 percent short, 38 percent adequate, with a 2 percent surplus.

Weather conditions last week remained ideal for weaning calves. Some reports of calf sales were received.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.