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Excessive rainfall in Kansas hurting crop conditions

A northeast Kansas farmer says excessive rainfall has tested this year’s crop, but conditions are better than they could be.

Scott Gigstad says his area has received several rounds of moisture recently, totally more than 2 inches. “Soybeans are up and look good. Probably the crop that is struggling the most is our corn crop. We’re seeing some areas of nitrogen loss and some potash loss.”

He tells Brownfield it’s a much different story in other parts of his region. “When you go north of us a few miles, that turned into 4,5 and even 6 inch rains within the last week to 10 days. Those rains will fill ponds, but it’s been pretty hard on the crop. It breaks over terraces and does a lot of washing.”

The USDA says corn is rated 63 percent good-to-excellent, 81 percent of soybeans have been planted, 74 percent has emerged and 67 percent is rated good-to-excellent.

Twenty-eight percent of winter wheat has been harvested and 57 percent is rated poor-to-very poor.

Pasture and range conditions are 48 percent good-to-excellent.