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Dryness across Ohio leaves crops to struggle

A district sales manager for AgriGold Hybrids says it’s been a rough year in the field.

Scott Bugg says dryness across the state hasn’t benefited the crops.

“Some pretty rough looking crops out there. Some areas, they just have not been able to win with Mother Nature,” he says. “We’ve been really dry throughout a lot of the state here recently and from what I’m seeing so far, the these crops are hanging there.”

According to the latest crop progress and conditions report from the USDA, corn is rated ​64 percent good to excellent with ​91 percent silking. Soybeans are ​rated ​63 percent good to excellent, with 90 percent blooming.

He tells Brownfield the northwestern part of the state has struggled the most.

“When you just plant in less ideal conditions and then turn off hot and dry, it just drops,” he says. “Just don’t stand much your chance to thrive out there.”

The third cutting of alfalfa is ​45​ percent complete, and the second hay cutting is ​80 percent complete.

Oats are ​94 percent mature and 83 percent harvested.

Topsoil moisture is ​55 percent adequate to surplus and subsoil moisture is ​44 percent adequate to surplus.