Late last week, area farmers welcomed much-needed rain after weeks of dry conditions. Hertz Farm Management Farm Manager Troy Coziahr says while corn may have sustained some damage, the rain will help keep the crop going.
“Most everything has doubled in size here over the last few days,” says Coziahr. “So we’re in good shape getting ready to go into pollination now, we are going to need this moisture to keep coming and it looks like it might do that. We certainly knocked the top end off the yield potential I think, here in Illinois at least.”
When it comes to soybeans, he says that they still have good potential, however, there are some concerns.
“We are starting to see a few issues show up, especially in some of the poorer soils,” said Coziahr. “Saw a lot of yellowing starting to happen in some of these fields. I have heard some anecdotal reports that guys are digging some plants up, cutting into nodules, and finding dead nodules on some of these hot, dry, clay hillsides.”
He adds that the “cooler” temperatures we are seeing at night have also helped maintain crop conditions in our area as we head into pollination.