Some areas are getting rain consistently but there are areas that are staying dry consistently, especially in Western Kansas, said Fjell, a crop production specialist with K-State Research and Extension. Southeast Kansas is in better shape than the rest of the state. Two percent of corn had silked. The number of rows per ear is already established, Fjell explained. If the corn is a type that normally has 16 rows per ear, it can be knocked back to 14 rows by stress from a lack of moisture.
Stands are generally good.
The length of the ear is affected by the length of time it is dry, so some recovery is possible if it rains during the growing season. And even if root development is compromised early, roots can develop later if the field gets rain. Kansas topsoil moisture was rated 50 percent short to very short the week ended June 18 and subsoil supplies were 52 percent short to very short, according to the KASS data. We re seeing a tremendous amount of sidewall compaction where the sides of the furrows are so dry that the developing plant s roots couldn t penetrate and branch out horizontally. But if the corn can t grow adequate crown roots because of the dry, compacted soil, we have what we call rootless corn that s not well anchored in the soil and is easily blown over by the wind.