The corn crop is hurting in our region with more potential trouble lingering in the month of August. Soil moisture levels between field capacity and saturation over a 9 week period has resulted in irregular stands. Within fields it is common to have corn tasseling next to corn that is only knee high. This will result in prolonged pollination and maturation over a 4 to 6 week period. An early frost will create wet grain that will be costly to dry down.
Roots are also shallow because of wet soil conditions.
If the weather turns hot and dry plants could come under a great deal of stress. Farmers will have to be very wise in their grain marketing to turn this crop into a net income. Good marketing opportunities disappeared in mid-May. Farmers with grain in the bin need to check it frequently to avoid serious losses to mold and insects. These problems are occurring more frequently than farmers realize.