With both corn and soybean crops nearing maturity, farmers are prepping their combines to get ready for harvest 2015.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 88 percent of soybean plants have already set pods, with 55 percent of corn having reached the dent stage, and 3 percent of corn considered fully mature. Last week the state saw an average of 1.39 inches of rain, seven-tenths of an inch above normal, leaving 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Farmers continued to make progress baling hay, with 78 percent of the third cutting now complete, up from just 59 percent last week.
The Department reports crop quality is holding steady, with 56 percent of corn rated as good or excellent, and 52 percent of soybeans achieving similar grades. Heavy rains during May and June are still impacting many fields, including some that were completely flooded out. Due to plant biology, the actual damage to the corn from water was similar to what happens during a drought. Click here to learn more about the impact of heavy rainfall on this year’s crops: http://youtu.be/hC-3U54V0qM