Nebraska's eastern region has been grappling with drier-than-normal conditions, exacerbating the drought that has persisted since last summer. Recent storms brought some relief, but also hail and wind damage to rain-fed cornfields. The lack of winter moisture and a dry spring have made cornfields appear tough, with uneven stands and delayed tasseling.
Golden Harvest agronomist, Jamie Kathol, shed light on the situation, attributing the uneven tasseling to irregular seed germination due to insufficient soil moisture during planting. Tillage practices also influenced emergence, with no-till fields experiencing challenges as crop residues failed to break down without adequate precipitation.
Despite these challenges, Kathol remains optimistic about some fields. He observed that sections of stunted corn tasseling together performed better than fields with sporadic germination across rows. The severity of the early spring drought, particularly in sandy or light spots, added to the complexity of this season.
Regarding disease and insect concerns, the dry weather initially kept disease pressure low, but recent rains may change that. The dreaded tar spot has become a growing worry, especially in northeast Nebraska. Kathol keeps a watchful eye on gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and western bean cutworm, which has been pushing eastward.
Though grasshoppers have been a nuisance, they haven't posed significant issues for the corn crop. Despite the challenges, farmers remain hopeful as the recent increase in precipitation provides some relief to the difficult growing conditions.
Nebraska's farmers face various challenges due to the prolonged drought, including uneven crop growth and potential disease outbreaks. Nevertheless, they are resilient and cautiously optimistic about the upcoming harvest season.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-chrisboswell
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Corn, Weather