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Corn could be more susceptible to lodging in wetter areas

Corn could be more susceptible to lodging in areas that have received abundant rain this summer.

University of Minnesota Extension crops educator Dave Nicolai says shallow rooting is common when there’s plenty of soil moisture.

“When we talk about strong winds and storm conditions, that is a concern in terms of stability that could happen here in the months of August and September.”

He tells Brownfield corn is also more vulnerable if conditions turn very dry ahead of grain harvest.

“If we have stress for whatever reason it sometimes can effect those tip kernels. Some years it looks like we’re going to have a really good tip fill, and maybe you might get some tip dieback. Also, the depth of the kernels can vary depending on the amount of stress.”

Nicolai says there are still plenty of factors that could impact final yield.