By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — What was expected to be a near-record corn crop is looking more run-of-the-mill – or less – as weather conditions continue to plague producers in Kentucky and throughout many parts of the country.
“We had a wet spring, so that threw the corn crop behind schedule,” said Tom Priddy, University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture meteorologist. “When it came time for corn’s reproductive stage, it dried off, and we were hit with oppressive heat.”

That sums up the situation as some producers in western Kentucky who were able to plant early or on time are nearing harvest time. For them, the corn growing season is all but finished. Kenny Perry, Graves County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, said the dry spell came at an inopportune time and turned a banner crop into something average.

“The dry conditions we are currently experiencing may affect the soybeans, but our corn crop is pretty well done,” he said. “We’ll probably have folks begin their harvest the first of the week, but the bean crop is still trying to fill pods.”
That dry spell comes after a three-week period that saw little rain in portions of western Kentucky. It was then the damage was done as far as the corn crop is concerned, according to Perry. He added that as of July 10, the crop looked tremendous, but rain missed that area until early in August. Add to that near-100-degree temperatures and the damage was done.

“We’ve got a lot of corn that just didn’t finish filling at the tips of the ears, and so with the potential that could have been, we are probably going to be off 15 or 20 bushels an acre,” he said.

Those kinds of losses can add up to big money in a hurry. Graves County farmers grow about 60,000 acres of corn each year. The good news is, grain prices are high, which as Perry puts it will leave farmers there average, but all right.

He also said as long as prices stay high, farmers there have more of a chance to increase their infrastructure capacity for such things as irrigation. Future dry spells and droughts may not have the same effect as they do now.
While the far west is seeing an end to corn season, growers elsewhere in the state are still at critical stages with their crops, and rain would be welcome at this point. Chad Lee, UK grain crops extension specialist, emphasized producers should scout their crop for developmental problems.

“A lot of corn went in late this year and is still going through seed fill,” he said.
Adding insult to injury, gusty winds from a couple of weeks ago caused stalk damage to some central Kentucky cornfields, where the crop is already in peril because of dry, hot conditions.

The lost dollar amount is adding up in a hurry. Lee said, in considering the price of a bushel of corn and the 1.4 million acres of corn grown in Kentucky, “We’ve probably lost between $15 million and $20 million in the last two weeks because of the dry weather and the heavy storms that knocked some corn down.”
At this stage, he said the crop will not benefit much from ample rains. In fact, it may be better to let it dry in preparation for harvest. But soybeans are another matter; Lee said at the stage beans are presently in, blooming and setting pods, good yields could still be expected as long as the dry weather doesn’t continue.

Unfortunately, the western half of the state is now listed as being abnormally dry, with a small portion listed in a moderate drought, according to the latest information from the U.S. Drought Monitor. That scenario applies to many surrounding states, as well.