(Lakefield, Mn.)– This summer’s ongoing drought has taken a toll on some corn fields in the area and local ag officials say it’s going to have an impact when the harvest gets underway in coming weeks.
Jim Nesseth of Extended Ag Services of Lakefield tells KUOO news early appraisals are showing some sharp reductions in yield in those areas that were impacted the most with a lack of rainfall…
“Some of the reports I’ve been hearing so far as far as some of these appraisals that are coming in, some are in the low 100’s to mid 150’s, right in there, and some a little bit higher. There’s going to be yields all over the board. There could be some sub 100 fields, hundred bushel fields in some areas, and then there could be some that are 200 plus. So it’s going to be, just kind of depending on how fortunate they were to get some moisture during the growing season.”
He says that’s already showing up in silage cutting operations that are now underway…
“There’s a lot of baron ears and a lot of tipped back ears. You know, that’s what’s really hurting us on the yield. It’s just really hard to get some good sized ears or get some good kernel counts and get those appraisals up there, so. The total digestible nutrients, the energy levels, I expect them to be lower and once they get this stuff tested because they’re just going to be short some grain but if we get some tonnage that helps. We’ll just have to get the best we can do and hopefully be able to get some compensation through crop insurance.”
Nesseth adds any rain we should happen to get from here on out is too late for the corn…
“Certainly the soybeans that are still green and setting some pods, hopefully we can get some bigger seed size, those types of things. So I think it would definitely be beneficial on the soybean side but it’s getting a little bit too late I think for the corn.”
Nesseth says most of the corn crop has now reached the denting stage. He adds that most of the corn plants on lighter, sandy soils have already shut down.
