By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Corn producers in western Kentucky are beginning to harvest their crop, and in most cases it’s because they have to, not because they want to.

The same area, inundated with floodwaters from severe storms in May, fell prey to hotter-than-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall at a critical time in the plant’s growing cycle. Chad Lee, grain crops specialist with the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, said problems have been widespread but especially plentiful in the west.

“In major grain-producing areas of the state, the weather’s been hot and dry, causing corn to reach its full maturity a couple weeks ahead of schedule. In areas where we had moisture and heat, we still have some pollination and seed fill problems,” he said.

Those conditions prompted many producers to begin their harvest earlier than they had hoped.

“The corn that has been harvested early was under pretty good stress and some of those yield numbers coming in are really disappointing,” Lee said.

They have been as low as 50 bushels per acre in some spots, he noted. “Maybe they’re not unexpected, but certainly when you get those numbers, you hate to see them,” he added.

He explained the yields vary greatly even within the same fields. Those 50s could give way to 180s in the same cornfield. Already two areas in the west are reporting that expected yields will be off by 40 bushels from last year’s crop.

“When it gets that hot, (the plant) requires a lot more moisture and we just didn’t have the moisture to help it out,” Lee said.

One problem producers are facing as they begin the harvest is weak stalks. Dry weather caused crops to stop taking in nutrients during seed development. With no other source of nutrients, the seeds might have pulled nutrients from the stalks in order to complete their development, according to information from UK.

In fields where this is the case, farmers are urged to harvest those first. In the event strong rains or winds were to make their way into the area, lodging could occur, making the harvest more difficult and causing crop loss.

North Dakota State University’s extension service describes lodging as “the breakage of the stalk below the ear. Lodged corn results in increased harvest losses, slower harvest equipment speeds, increased drying cost and in most cases, a significant volunteer problem next season. Yield losses from stalk lodging range from 5-25 percent nationwide.”

Lee suggested farmers across the state be ready to harvest early. He also said that with lower moisture levels, farmers won’t spend as much on drying as they did last year. That may be the only good news producers get this season.

However, Lee did say that some spotty areas could see excellent yields. “There are going to be farms with individual fields that do really, really good, but the rest of it is not going to be so good,” he said.

With the fate of the corn crop most likely sealed, be it good or bad, Lee said soybeans have a chance to be good if the state gets adequate rainfall and gets it soon.

“They have a chance to be excellent. They also have a chance to be absolutely terrible. It’s just a matter of whether or not we get some rain,” he said.

The state got a break, at least as far as the temperatures were concerned, last week. This week, the thermometer is to rise back near 90 most days, but the hot, humid weather will bring a chance of spotty storms. At this point Kentucky farmers will take the rain when they can get it.