This week’s heat wave could provide some benefits for the area corn crop, but may also create challenges for soybeans and grain storage.
Mike Wilson of Wabash Valley Service Company discussed the impact of the hot weather during last week’s Valley Update on WSJD.
Wilson said temperatures reaching into the 90s will help speed up the maturation and drying of corn in the field. Hotter corn entering a grain dryer also requires less additional heat to reach drying temperatures, potentially reducing the amount of fuel needed during harvest.
However, Wilson said high humidity limits some of those benefits, and the heat creates another concern once corn is placed into storage.
Wilson said freshly dried corn needs to be cooled quickly to around 70 to 75 degrees to prevent it from sweating, regaining moisture and potentially developing mold or rot. With high outside temperatures, cooling stored grain becomes more difficult and requires additional monitoring.
The prolonged hot and dry conditions could also reduce yields in some soybean fields.
Wilson said double-crop soybeans are particularly vulnerable, while later-planted crops north of U.S. 50 could also lose some yield if the hot and dry weather continues.
Another concern is insect pressure. Wilson said the large number of moths and other insects currently visible at night includes several agricultural pests laying eggs in corn and soybean fields. Late-planted corn could face stalk problems from corn borers and other insects.
Stalk diseases, including anthracnose, are another issue farmers will need to watch as harvest approaches. Wilson said weakened stalks can lead to lodging, causing corn plants to fall or break over before they can be harvested.
Despite those concerns, Wilson remains optimistic about the overall crop.
He said corn yields he is seeing in his portion of the region look “phenomenal,” with the potential for outstanding yields. Recent rains in northern portions of Wabash Valley Service Company’s territory should also benefit soybean production.
Wilson said crops are running well ahead of a typical growing season, possibly by as much as four weeks in some cases. Earlier planting and improvements in earlier-maturing corn and soybean varieties have contributed to that progress.
Wilson also reflected on how close the region came to suffering major crop losses from flooding earlier this growing season.
He said the difference between the Wabash River reaching roughly 20-and-a-half feet at Mt. Carmel and a potential crest near 23 to 23-and-a-half feet was significant. Wilson estimated a higher crest could have flooded thousands of additional acres between Mt. Carmel and Crawleyville and potentially wiped out crops between federal levees on both sides of the river.
Wilson said the impact would have extended well beyond Wabash and Gibson counties into other portions of southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana.
Overall, Wilson said the crop continues to look strong heading toward harvest and believes area farmers could be looking at a very good year.