Crop Watch 2025: Corn Yield Threats
Several threats are impacting corn yields this season, including overly tight tassel wrap, Southern Rust and tar spot.
Unscripted: ‘Overly Tight Tassel Wrap’ Affecting Pollination?
Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, joins Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths to shed light on crop conditions, particularly pollination issues.
Crop Condition News
Iowa started off the season with historically high crop ratings but conditions have recently dropped with the recent heat and dryness and that may have taken the top end off yields.
Crop conditions in Nebraska dropped three-percent for both corn and soybeans last week and are likely to drop even more after this week’s extreme heat and dryness.
The growing season has been far from perfect, but a northeast pocket in the Corn Belt just might be the garden spot for corn thanks to strong stands and a steady stream of rain in July.
Steven Ebeling admits farming in West Texas is never easy, but 2022 has been a brutal blow with the majority of the dryland acres already counted as a total loss, and irrigated acres are now struggling to survive.
Recent dry weather increases risk of spider mite infestations.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is concerned about the impact this week’s high heat could have on corn production as the majority of the crop was planted late. The August forecasts are also concerning for soybeans.
Triple digit heat blankets the Southwest this week, and forecasters expect the ridge of high pressure to park over the western Corn Belt next week. AccuWeather projects U.S. corn production could be severely impacted.
Some corn took a beating this week, but it still has a lot of yield potential. Also, register for our Farm Journal Corn & Soybean College. We have all new agronomic topics to help you harvest more grain this fall!
The core of the Corn Belt is forecast to see above normal temperatures and below normal rain next week, and it could hit as the crop is in prime pollination with 50% of U.S. corn planted in a two-week period in May.