Recent rains have been a welcome addition to Ohio’s weather for farmers, providing needed moisture to field crops and pastures. The spring’s delayed planting, however, still continues to cause some concern about how much time corn and soybean crops need to finish out before the first frost.

“The short answer is we need about 30 to 45 days to get the majority of acres to physiological maturity,” said Greg La Barge, Ohio State University extension educator from Fulton County. “A normal frost date of October 10 to October 15 would be a good thing, and November 1 would be even better.”

According to the Aug. 28 progress report from NASS, this year’s crops continue to lag behind both 2010 as well as the five-year average because of this spring’s late planting. About 71 percent of the state’s corn crop is in dough with 21 percent of the crop dented thus far, which is 24 and 26 percent behind the five-year averages, respectively.

Chopping is also under way for corn silage, with 7 percent harvested, just 7 percent behind the five-year average.

Similarly soybean crops are behind normal maturity, with 89 percent of the crop setting pods and 1 percent dropping leaves, numbers that reflect 9 and 6 percent delays behind average numbers at this point. This delay is resulting in insect appearance later in the fields than is typical, with both soybean aphids and spider mites reported.

By Jane Houin
Ohio Correspondent

Kentucky

Kentucky’s crops sustained a “double whammy” this year regarding weather patterns and timely planting, according to Greg Henson, McLean County agriculture and natural resources extension agent.

“As in many years, we’ve been impacted by flooding in spring leading to late planting, and drought in mid-summer reducing yields,” said Henson. “It’s a double whammy this year because so much corn is late. The earliest corn was hurt by high temps, thereby reducing pollination, and later corn, in addition to reduced pollination, didn’t have enough moisture to fill.”

The lack of measurable moisture continued to plague the Commonwealth with topsoil and subsoil moisture rated right around 40 percent short. Reduced moisture also impacted the corn crop, rated 32 percent fair and 46 percent good.

While corn milked was at 89 percent, the crop is normally beyond this stage, with both last year and the average at 100 percent, according to NASS’ weekly crop and weather report. Seventy-six percent of the corn has reached the dough stage, behind both last year’s 98 percent and the five-year average of 93 percent. Only 56 percent of corn had dented, behind 2010’s 86 percent.
Sixteen percent of the corn average was considered mature compared to last year’s 60 percent. While NASS reports later-planted fields could still benefit from a good shower, corn is being harvested in earlier-planted fields that have dried down quickly because of lack of moisture.

Moisture is also greatly needed for adequate soybean pod-fill, according to Tom Priddy, Kentucky extension ag meteorologist. Four percent of soybeans were shedding leaves, compared to 13 percent last year.

“Producers are becoming increasingly concerned about the effect of the extended dry periods on yields,” he said.

Set tobacco conditions mirrored soil moisture percentages with 35 percent fair and 40 percent good ratings. NASS also noted problems with fall armyworms and hornworms but no major disease problems.

By Susan Hayhurst
Indiana Correspondent

Tennessee
While most crops across the Volunteer State remain in good-to-excellent condition despite the fact that week after week they have to deal with diminishing levels of moisture and rising temperatures, some trees have come under attack, according to state officials.

In a press release, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced last week the discovery of a walnut tree-killing disease, Thousand Cankers (TCD), in Loudon and Sevier counties. The disease was discovered a year ago in Knox County. The new counties are now under an emergency quarantine. TCD is a progressive disease that kills a tree within two to three years after initial symptoms are detected.

In addition, the state sent out a press release announcing the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive insect that destroys ash trees, was recently found in Claiborne County. The find was made last month and has been confirmed by USDA. EAB has killed millions of ash trees across several states including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

TDA has added five counties to the EAB quarantine, which prohibits the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber and other material that can spread EAB. With the new discovery, citizens can expect expanded surveys and should report any symptomatic ash trees to TDA. EAB attacks only ash trees.

The lack of rain across the state was evident in moisture levels in soil. Topsoil levels were rated 30 percent very short, 45 percent short and 25 percent adequate. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 24 percent very short, 46 percent short and 30 percent adequate.

Temperatures across Tennessee last week averaged 3-4 degrees above normal, according to NASS, the National Weather Service and University of Tennessee extension.

“A few producers are trying to shell corn but in most cases, moisture is still too high. We are extremely dry. Many soybean fields are showing signs of stress from lack of moisture. Some isolated spraying still occurring for worms in soybeans and cotton. Pastures are very stressed, but producers I visited indicate hay supplies are good at this time,” Dyer County extension agent Tim Campbell reported.

By Tesa Nauman
Tennessee Correspondent

Iowa
Aug. 23 high winds and hail severely damaged crops in northwestern, north-central, west-central and southwestern Iowa, according to the Aug. 29 Iowa Crop & Weather report.

“Dry weather and destructive storms are continuing to affect crop development and cause concern for farmers as harvest is quickly approaching,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “Rain would help the corn crop and be beneficial for beans, both of which are showing stress from the dry weather in many parts of the state.”

The report for the week of Aug. 22-28 said most Iowa farmers would like to receive “some rain to help bean fill and relieve stress on other crops. Areas in southeast Iowa report receiving less than an inch of rain since the end of June.”

State Meteorologist Harry Hillaker said while some southeastern Iowa locations again failed to record any rain, Anamosa reported the most rainfall for the week with 4.3 inches: “This was the fifth consecutive week of less-than-normal rainfall.”

By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent