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Late planting limiting yield potential in South Dakota

An agronomist says too much rain between April and June has limited yield potential for corn and soybeans in South Dakota.

John Goeden covers most of the state for Channel Seed and tells Brownfield planting started late for many growers because of wet conditions.

“Yields are the thing that’s probably going to be impacted the most.  Our yield potential goes down as we go past normal planting periods, so we know we’re probably going to be seeing some lower yields.”

Despite the damp and cool weather, he says disease pressure has been surprisingly light.

But insect populations are on the rise.

“I have seen some aphids starting up in soybeans.  Nothing that’s approached anything from an IPM standpoint (however).  We’re certainly seeing a few things on corn as well: a few flea beetles out there.  Japanese beetles…we’re seeing a lot of them this year; I don’t know why.  But not really anything doing a lot of damage.”

Goeden says heat in July has helped crops catch up in their development, and he anticipates a normal start to harvest-if the weather cooperates.