News

Pineapple corn is a reality across Missouri

The dry conditions are affecting the corn in central Missouri.

MFA’s Vice President of Agri-Services Jason Weirich says overall, the corn look better than it should in the state due to minimal rainfall. He says that’s likely due to a deep root establishment from early planting, but there are some fields outside of northwest Missouri that have pineapple corn.

“Pineapple corn is really the crop’s defense mechanism. The corn rolls up its leaves when it’s hot out to reduce the leaf area exposed to the sun,” he says. “It’s a way to conserve moisture and at the middle of the day, that’s when the corn is the tightest and it rolls back out at night when it cools down.”

Weirich says if rains come, the corn can improve, but yield potential has already been affected due to the drought.

There have been spotty rains across portions of Missouri this week, but not a lot of significant moisture.