We have not been receiving rains in northwest Ohio. In the last two weeks we have been deficient of rainfall and are in great need of rains and hopefully this week we will get some. When you look at crop development, most of the corn is in the R3 to R4 from blister to dent. The replant corn is of the greatest concern because the corn that was planted in early June is still pollinating. With the combination of heat and dry weather, the prospect for a normal crop on those acres is diminishing each day.
In regard to the soybeans, they continue to develop and progress but we have the same concerns. The later planted soybeans are shorter in stature and they also need rain in order to develop. I believe we still have some time in later August and into September for those acres to be very productive, but unless we get rain, the yield of those acres will be impacted.
In scouting our fields, most of the soybeans are pretty clean. We don?t see high levels of disease. We treated most of those acres with fungicide and insecticide. We also treated the majority of our corn acres with fungicides as well. With the weather we?ve been having and the diseases that are out there we wanted to be proactive in addressing those problems.
In the last two weeks on our farm, we have only received six tenths of an inch of rain. That is better than nothing, but we are getting dry very quickly. As far as insects in the soybean crop, Japanese beetles were the predominate insect we were dealing with several weeks ago. Since we applied insecticide we don?t really have those issues now. I don?t think spider mites will be an issue unless it continues to get drier. For the most part, the insects are under control and we?re basically in need of rain.
When you look at the potential for soybeans to retain and fill pods, we will be very dependent on rains in the next two weeks for normal crop development. I have not seen pods being aborted, but if we want to finish on a positive note we need rain to finish them off.
On the early-planted crops I think we will have exceptional yields. I think we will have normal yields for the crops planted in May and the verdict is still out for crops planted in June. I am hoping we can still have an average crop in the end. Time will tell.
