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| Between the Rows - June 30, 2010 (Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee) |
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Iowa
Severe thunderstorms continue to dump heavy rain across most of Iowa, stalling work and renewing replanting concerns.
The June 21 Crop and Weather Report said southern Iowa farmers have been unable to get into their fields the entire month, which already ranks as the 13th wettest June in 138 years.
“This halt in fieldwork is becoming a concern for farmers still needing to spray, since weeds are starting to pressure crops,” the report said.
While corn rated 2 percent very poor to 23 excellent, nearly all soybeans have been planted and 94 have emerged.
Kris Norgaard, agronomy division sales manager for Farmers Co-op Society in Sanborn, said overall, crops in some northwestern Iowa counties look excellent.
“We are lucky to have missed the excessive rains that most of the rest of the state has received,” he said.
“One thing that is very noticeable this year is the difference in soybeans. Most of our corn looks fairly even from field to field and area to area, but soybeans vary a lot.”
Despite high winds in northern Iowa that knocked down trees and hail that shredded corn leaves, the report said “the warm humid days provided ideal growing conditions.”
By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent
Michigan
Rain returned to much of Michigan last week, hindering fieldwork and leaving standing water in areas, while giving well-established crops the moisture they need.
According to the Michigan Field Office of NASS, precipitation varied from 0.38 inches in the east-central Lower Peninsula (LP) to 1.54 inches in the southwestern LP. Average temperatures ranged from 2 degrees above normal in the western Upper Peninsula to 4 degrees above normal in the southeastern LP.
Where it was dry, producers were able to finish planting and made progress spraying. Throughout the state, wheat headed. Reports of powdery mildew, Septoria and Fusarium head blight, continued.
Nearly all of the soybeans are planted. Weather has caused a delay in spraying, which led to weed control issues on corn and soybean.
In his weekly report, Michigan State University agriculture educator Bruce MacKellar in Van Buren County reported heavy rain that moved through the area June 23 was “locally intense, with some flash flooding of low areas. Crop growth is getting more and more uneven in those types of fields, which are prevalent.”
Corn in many areas is rapidly moving beyond normal growth stages for this time of year. Farmers reported 80 percent of the state’s dry beans were planted, up from 71 at this time last year. Fruit continues to be about two weeks ahead of schedule throughout the state, and vegetables are progressing rapidly.
By Shelly Strautz-Springborn
Michigan Correspondent
Kentucky
June has shaped up to be one of the hottest on record. Along with the heat came above-normal rainfall, which created good growing conditions for most crops.
Corn was rated 57 percent good and 20 excellent, according to the June 20 report from the Kentucky Field Office of NASS. Corn tasseling stood at 17 percent, compared to 1 last year and 6 for the five-year average.
The state’s soybean planting progress stood at 85 percent, ahead of the 73 reported last year and the five-year average of 84. The optimum growing conditions helped with plant emergence, at 80 percent for soybeans, well ahead of the 67 last year and the five-year average of 78. The condition of the soybean crop was 1 percent poor, 9 fair, 62 good and 28 excellent.
Burley tobacco planting was all but finished as of June 20, with 95 percent of the crop in the ground as compared to 87 last year. Dark tobacco was also nearly complete, with 94 percent planted.
The winter wheat harvest continued at 36 percent. The crop was reported to be 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 18 fair, 58 good and 20 excellent.
By Tim Thornberry
Kentucky Correspondent
Tennessee
Corn, well ahead of its five-year-average, had a total of 27 percent at or beyond the silking stage. Double-cropped soybeans and mature winter wheat have also fared well, and some hayfields are ready to be cut a second time.
“Most cotton has reached pin head stage with reports showing little plant or bug pressure. Corn has received timely rains over the majority of the county. Wheat harvesting is just about over as quick as it has started. The final bean acres are being planted this week. Crops are in good shape overall,” said James Griffin, county agent for Lauderdale County.
Middle Tennessee farmers, plagued by floods in May and hot weather in June, are experiencing planting delays, according to Davidson County Agent David Cook.
Twice in June Gov. Phil Bredesen requested from the federal government natural disaster designation because of the floods, first for 13 counties – including 19 adjoining counties designated as secondary disaster areas – and then for another three.
“Farmers are still dealing with a considerable amount of infrastructure damage, and we’re seeing more acreage being shifted to soybeans as a result of lost corn acreage,” State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens said.
By Tesa Nauman
Tennessee Correspondent |
| 6/30/2010 |
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