Crop Conditions
There are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, but having conversations with suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties.
It’s a head-scratcher situation: some Illinois farmers are reporting moisture levels in their corn are dropping only one point per week.
All it takes to spark a flame sometimes is a single high-temperature source in the engine area or an overheated bearing that ignites some dry plant material. Take control of the situation in advance by having a brief plan ready to implement. Communicate it to your family and employees.
Use one or more of these tips to reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a fertility program that works well for your farm and gives you some peace of mind in the process.
The crop took it on the chin this season, with some Iowa farmers reporting huge yield losses as harvest gets underway. A one-time fungicide application helped, but it wasn’t enough to buck severe disease pressure, allowing it to return.
The crop is drying down rapidly, given the weather conditions across much of the country. Agronomists are concerned farmers will combine fields too late and advise starting at 13% moisture or even higher.
Detailed daily field scans and predictive, AI-powered multispectral imaging capabilities are hitching a ride on a SpaceX rocket launch and will soon be available to field agronomists, grain and commodity traders, and even farmers.
Agronomic specialists are encouraging farmers to make their corn harvest plans now, prioritizing which fields to combine first and so forth. Evaluating how well the crop is standing on a field by field basis can help you plan the process and minimize having to pick up down corn.
If the legal challenge succeeds, the federal court decision would result in making the technology unavailable for sale or distribution to U.S. farmers.
Kernel depth and fill contribute significantly to yield in newer hybrids. It’s one reason a ‘Hail Mary’ fungicide pass might still offer ROI and keep corn standing until combines roll.
A prematurely collapsing ear shank stops grain fill, leading to yield reductions that can reach as high as 40%.
The Midwest crop is being pushed into black layer (R6) prematurely in some areas in ways that are easy to confuse with normal drydown factors.
The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn yields at 6.1 bu. below USDA’s August estimate, while soybean yield numbers are nearly aligned.
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
There is still up to 55% of the kernel dry weight left to be accumulated by many corn hybrids at this point — starch that can contribute significantly to grain fill and higher test weights.
Elevated levels of the disease are trending currently, and are of ‘serious concern’ over the next eight weeks, say researchers.
With at least four weeks left in the growing season, Ferrie encourages farmers to stay ahead of heavy disease pressure in fields, particularly in what he calls D hybrids — those that punch their yield card late-season.
One concern cited is that USDA tends to aim too high with its August yield estimates, based on what the data shows from the past decade. The other concern is how strong demand will be, given corn carryover projections.
Corn yield estimates in seven counties surrounding the community of Bloomington indicate farmers there will harvest an average crop, at best. That’s counter to what USDA predicts for Illinois yield results statewide.
The extent of the disease in the state is the worst one ISU Extension pathologist says she has ever seen. Farmers in 17 other states have also confirmed the disease.
Camaraderie is cathartic. It lifts spirits, gives encouragement and reminds all of us we are valuable. Check out what farmers have to say about this year’s corn crop – the good, the bad and the in-between – and may their experiences lighten your load in the process.
A crop-protection startup is using AI and machine learning to identify and develop new active ingredients it says will help farmers solve issues like weed resistance faster and more economically.
USDA reports 73% of the corn crop nationally is in good to excellent condition – a 5% increase over this same time in 2024. Industry analysts believe the Aug. 12 Crop Production report will boost its estimate for the 2025 crop because of the overall favorable growing season.
Just as corn growers were ready to put their pollination problems behind them, another one comes along. This time, the issue had to do with moisture occurring at the wrong time, and the results are significantly impacting yield.
Despite USDA’s strong corn condition ratings, more agronomists and farmers are reporting pollination problems from what’s being called ‘overly tight tassel wrap,’ an issue that can’t be seen until you walk into your fields.
Got tar spot? Economic data shows two passes can offer ROI, depending on the hybrid. However, if your crop got dinged at pollination that’s a different scenario and might require a revised game plan that takes yield estimates into consideration.
Southern rust has now been confirmed in at least 15 states, and with high heat and humidity this week, along with strong winds, agronomists are encouraging farmers to scout their corn fields, as conditions are ripe for the disease to spread.
More reports of ‘overly tight tassel wrap’ are coming in across the Corn Belt – including from the reigning world champion corn grower. Hula shares how he strategically uses his planter to minimize pollination risks.