News

August heat impacting crops

An agronomist with Burrus Seed says the latest heat wave is impacting the Midwestern corn crop.

Dana Harder, who covers Missouri and west central Illinois, tells Brownfield, “It seems we’re progressing anywhere from 10 to 14 days ahead of schedule.”  He says, “The elevated nighttime temperature just caused the GDU’s to really accumulate.  This hot stretch of weather that we’re currently having is progressing this crop rapidly.”

He says rapid maturation, combined with foliar disease pressure, could lead to standability concerns.

“Getting some reports of some anthracnose stalk rot coming to play, and I think we should be out there doing a push test.”  He says, “Push those plants over. If over 10% of those plants break, that is a field that we want to get after.”

Harder says prioritizing compromised fields should be at the forefront of farmers’ minds as they prepare for the upcoming harvest.

AUDIO: Dana Harder – Burrus Seed