Drought
The agricultural headlines of 2023 have issued a steady drumbeat of drought – particularly in the Corn Belt, where so much U.S. livestock feed is grown. But just how bad was it?
If your combine monitor is showing a wide range of yields in the field, Ken Ferrie says to investigate. Evaluate soybean stand, pod set and bean size while there’s agronomic evidence.
USDA’s weekly crop progress report shows harvest progress slightly behind average for corn and soybeans.
As extreme weather events affect the profitability of agriculture, here are four areas to bring focus to the ripple effect.
Restrictions are in place at the Panama Canal to conserve water - creating a backlog of ships waiting to pass.
Analysts think the recent hot and dry weather could have a detrimental effect on the potential production picture in the U.S., but even with issues, the price story is different for corn than it is for soybeans.
A heat dome will consume the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the South this week with “oppressive and dangerous conditions” expected at least through midweek, the National Weather Service reported early Monday.
After record low water levels on many of the major rivers used for export movement in 2022, agriculture could see a repeat this fall.
An ongoing lack of water and volatile prices bring heightened focus on fertilizer and nutrient management. They are critical components to creating a more resilient ag production system, says one industry agronomist.
What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.
John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it’s a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.
Missouri Farmer Discovers Startling Reality of Drought: Entire Cornfields Never Pollinated This Year
Drought is creating a dreary outlook for Missouri farmers, but it wasn’t until mid-July that some realized just how bad it was. Farmers in pockets of severe drought now say they have widespread pollination problems.
Farmers can use humidity charts for their area to assess when the disease could hit their corn crop as well as the optimum time to make a fungicide application, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist.
With heat forecast to top 100 degrees in places, combined with the expectation for little to no rain, crop conditions could deteriorate and the biggest risk in the western and central Corn Belt.
Despite rains the last couple of weeks in parts of the Corn Belt the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to grip a huge part of the Midwest, including Nebraska>
In eastern Kansas and Missouri, harvest is happening at a historic pace, but western Kansas is overcome by so much rain that winter wheat fields are now overgrown by weeds making those fields unharvestable.
The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates 67% of corn and 60% of soybeans are still considered to be in drought, a slight improvement from last week when drought covered 70% of corn and 63% of soybeans.
Flattened corn can often recover, stand and produce decent yields. Soybeans can shake off a storm and flourish, but beware spider mites in the next 10 days if temperatures stay 85-plus degrees with low humidity.
Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.
Cover crops, reduced tillage and a simple water infiltration test help Adam Chappell capture and hold water and nutrients.
Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.
Despite weekend rains sweeping the northern Corn Belt, corn and soybean conditions sit at the second-lowest level in history. Sizable declines hit key areas of the Corn Belt as corn enters a critical time for production.
Corn prices sunk as forecasts turned more optimistic for the weekend rains in the northern Corn Belt. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the rains aren’t enough to change the potential production problems in Illinois.
Corn prices fell more than 30 cents on Friday, a change from the rapid run-up in prices the past two weeks, but even with chances of rain across the northern Corn Belt, drought continues to eat away at crop conditions.
Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.
Illinois crop ratings have dropped like a rock with only 33% of soybeans and 36% of corn rated good to excellent in this week’s USDA crop progress report.
The updated drought monitor indicates dryness will continue to expand across eastern Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Corn and soybeans are in a full-blown weather rally. After a sharply higher week, what should farmers watch for to decide when to market their crops?
November soybeans shot up $1 in just two days. The December corn contract skyrocketed 50 cents during the time. Drought and dryness concerns are fueling the grain markets, is it only weather impacting prices?
Drought continues to deepen its grip across the Corn Belt, with Iowa and Illinois seeing large jumps in the moderate and severe drought categories. Now, more of the U.S. corn and soybean crop is covered in drought.