IARN — It’s two different stories so far this growing season for crops in western Iowa.
According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist Mike Witt, the corn crop is coming along nicely and powering through the current conditions, while soybeans are feeling the impacts of prolonged high temperatures.
“We are in the D0 and possibly the D1 section of the drought monitor,” Witt said. “Corn is showing some stress when it comes to that. There is some rolling mid-afternoon and sometimes in the morning. Overall, the crop is probably going to be tasseling in the next week or so. That’s a good thing. It does seem to be shorter than normal this year, but given the growing conditions we’ve had that is not entirely unexpected.”
Witt adds soybeans have been struggling through this heat, and says a few timely rains are greatly needed in the near future.
“There’s a lot of soybeans that are very small and are being affected by this heat and these temperatures,” Witt said. “A lot of 30-inch row soybeans aren’t canopying across the area and so there will be some weed control issues going forward. A lot of those are in the full bloom state, which would be R2. Some people might think they have to be taller than they are for that, but not really. It is getting to be that time of the year.”
Witt says plant disease has not been an issue this growing season in western Iowa.
“Some people have said that this is one of the cleaner looking crops that they have had as far as disease goes,” he said. “We are going to get after tasseling into that fungicide season. What I would suggest this year especially with these hot and dry conditions, make sure you scout your fields and make sure you need that fungicide because with tight margins, making sure you need that fungicide will help you at the end of the year on your bottom line.”
Witt covers Region 6 for ISU Extension, which includes Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie, Harrison, and Shelby counties. For questions, call Witt at 641-430-2600.
