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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

The surprise this week from USDA was an increase of 2% in the good/excellent rating for US corn. Conspiracy

theorists would say that was USDA’s attempt to make their crop rating come closer to matching last week’s

yield estimate from the monthly Crop Production Report. We’ll see down the road. Markets continue to

struggle as forecasts call for pretty good soybean growing weather the remainder of this month. Check out the

forecast maps below, and check out of crop scouts’ comments on their crops on the following pages.

6-10 Day Temperature & Precipitation Forecast

8-14 Day Temperature & Precipitation Forecast

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Arkansas

Natalie Miller – Southeast Arkansas

The corn harvest is under way with high yields ranging 170-

200 and others are waiting for the rain to pass. 5 Rating

Cotton is progressing along. The weekend rains have not

been helpful to any of the crops at this point and the

weather is calling for more this weekend. 3 Rating

Soybeans are a 4 Rating with early beans coming off and

late beans continue to improve. The excessive moisture will

be a concern if it continues to rain.

Rice has mostly turned and being drained off. We are

waiting for the moisture to dry up and resume harvest. 4

Rating

Jade Bates – NE Arkansas / SEMO

This week in NE AR and SEMO areas it is about the same as it was last week. We got some decent showers over the

weekend in the SEMO area.

Corn: About the same as last week, some people are finishing up on their final water and others are a little further along

and about a week out from harvesting. Rating 4.5

Cotton: With the rain and cloudy days lately the plants are dropping off the new blooms that have formed. Rating 4.5

Beans: About the same as last week as well. It’s going to be a big waiting game for those with damage to see how the

pods turn out. Rating 4

Rice: Farmers are starting to drain fields. Rice looks good and the heads look full. Rating 4.5

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Georgia

Lewis Baldwin – Richland, Georgia

No great change from last week.

SW GA still getting rain last week,1-4 inches. Several

areas still need rain. Irrigation still going on several areas I

observed last week in Webster and Randolph counties.

In many areas most rain we have

received in areas during growing season in last 5 years. .

Farmer comments are "too wet to go to field" in several

areas. Crop condition have improved greatly.

Weeds are getting out of hand in some fields and will

need strong herbicides to get back into control. Need a

few days of dry weather to get over the top weed control

out in areas and to spray insecticide and fungicide.

Many areas to wet to top dress cotton so they are getting

planes at a cost of $20.00 per acre to apply the fertilizer.

Farmers are putting out land plaster on peanuts and are

having trouble since it will not flow in the spreader due to

moisture in the plaster.

Peanuts are blooming and pegging. Cotton blooming and

early planted cotton being prepped for growth control.

Much of early planted cotton now has bolls the size of

golf balls and will be ready to pick by end of September

for an early harvest.

Corn harvest is beginning on early planted acres with

yields in area of

250 bu/ac.

Heavy wild animal damage being seen in areas.

Heavy rains washing light loamy soils on top of plants and

this could decrease yields. heavy thrip damage in areas.

NI corn expects to have best yields in past 10 years.

corn

irr 5

ni 5

cotton

irr 5

ni 4

peanuts

irr 5

ni 4

Plenn Hunnicutt – Moultrie, Georgia

Good moisture in our area.

Cotton 4/5

Peanuts 4/5

Corn 4.5/5 200-250 bu corn yields

Soybeans 4/5

Hope for a drier harvest season.

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Illinois

Jennifer Hendrix – Venedy, Illinois

Corn: Rating: (2.75/5) I am moving my rating

slightly up this week. We caught some

desperately needed rain this week for most of

our service area. The main issue we are seeing is

the vast differences in yield from field to field.

There is a great deal of unevenness when it

comes to this corn crop. Some producers have a

few good looking fields and others that have

caught hardly any rain. It really is on a field by

field basis and only time will tell what the end

result will be for this crop.

Beans: Rating: (3.5/5) I am keeping my rating

the same this week as we have not had much

change since last week. Although we did receive

some rain, there are still some soybeans fields

that could use more moisture. Given the

unpredictable spring and summer we have had

the beans are faring quite well given the

situation.

Rustin Godfrey – Chatham, Illinois We were gone for about 5 days on vacation

and things look about the same as when we

left. Sounds like we got about 4 tenths of rain

with some getting none and a lucky few

reporting 8 tenths. I heard about one yield

tour report from Logan County Young

Farmers. That group has had a real good track

record in the past. I don't have the official

numbers but if memory serves me correctly

the estimates were around the mid 180's to

low 190's. That is about what I was thinking

for that county but well below it's potential

and 30 plus bushels lower than last year. I

continue to think we have a good bean crop

on the way if we can catch a good soaking rain

here in August. Leaving the ratings the same

again this week. Corn 3.75 Soybeans 4.25.

Bill Pherigo – Mt Sterling, Illinois

Mike Toohill – North Central Illinois Despite the cool weather I thought that the

central Illinois corn crop was back on the

decline last week with the overall lack of

rain. Nitrogen deficiency is becoming more

common as the root system shut back down in

the dry pockets and some plants are dying early

in the stressed areas (milk line down about

50%). See pictures. Also noticing lots of water

hemp breaks in the corn and the areas where

populations are too high when spotting in

replant also aren't very good. On the flip side I

think the beans had another decent week

despite the dry weather. Most of central Illinois

is still in need of water so I am keeping my bean

rating at 4.0. I am dropping my corn rating

down to 3.5 this week (was 3.75 last week).

Jennifer Koehler – Sterling, Illinois

This past Thursday in Bureau County we were hit with a hail

storm in the early evening hours. Some fields were almost

completely stripped. It was a small area but with significant

impact. The rain varied anywhere from 1 inch to ½ inch from

that same storm system.

Not much activity in the fields besides water ways being baled

and roadsides getting mowed. I have seen a lot of combines

in the shops getting ready for the upcoming harvest season.

Corn 4.25/5

Soybeans 4/5

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Indiana

Mike McKay – Medaryville, Indiana

Mitch Snyder – Wabash, Indiana

Corn: The weather the past 2 weeks has been very beneficial to kernel set and finishing

pollination. Some areas want a rain this week to continue good kernel

development. Because of the mild weather I could probably take the corn rating up a

half point, but I know there are still a lot of problems with the crop that have not went

away. Still as I rate this crop vs. the last 5 corn crops it’s only better than 2012 at this

point from my observations and other areas will have to make up to achieve USDA’s 173

bushel estimate for Indiana. 2.5/5

Soybeans: Early planted soybeans look to be podded pretty well but will need a rain this

next week to set the little pods and fill them with grain. The cooler weather has probably

been beneficial to date getting more pods set. At some point we will need to make up

some GDD; especially the late planted crops. Not a lot of disease developing at this

point. Hard to see us hold a 55 bushel crop in Indiana. 2.5/5

Erin Parks – Mt Vernon, Indiana Weather – Last week’s weather was again mild with scattered rains. The local area rain totaled .15 of an inch. Daily high’s topped out at 86 and nightly lows were down in the low 60’s. This week is forecasted to be slightly warmer and humid. Daily highs in the low 90’s and nightly lows in the mid 60’s. The best chance of rain is Thursday, a 80% chance. Corn – Rating 4.25 The same as last week. Silage started to be cut last week, about a week early. Some early corn black layered last week. A few acres of the very early corn and has missed rains could run as early as late next week. Many are checking their mid planted corn to check for pollination issues. Pollination issues are out there. Corn development ranges from R3 to drying down. Soybeans – Rating 4.25. The same as last week. If the field received rain, the conditions improved. The rains were spotty so some fields haven’t had any moisture for almost two weeks, those conditions have gotten worse. Early beans are filling pods. Double crops are in full bloom. Most feel their soybeans have good potential. Soybean development ranges from R2 to R5.

Danny Greene – Franklin, Indiana

Past few weeks have been

dry. Forecast is for warm weather,

some rain. Both corn and beans are

giving up on clay knolls as soils dry

out.

CORN: 3.0 Most corn is near or in

dent stages. Leaf disease incidence

is continuing to increase. Southern

rust has been identified in our area in

addition to GLS and common rust.

Keeping rating near average due to

uneven stands and ear development

from early water-logged soils.

SOYBEANS: 3.0 Soybeans look good

overall where plants didn’t sit in wet

soils for too long. Really need a rain

to fill pods. No significant pest issues

in our area. Rating drops to 3.0

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Iowa

Corey Tiskoetter – Ossian, Iowa

Corn- Disease in corn has been

low. Fungicide applications are all

wrapped up for the most part.

Seeing a few more pollination

issues out there which are

believed to be caused by the

stress put on the plants at

emergence, (stretching out the

emergence window) and the

wind stress put on a lot of these

acres right prior/during

pollination. Overall I'd give the

corn a 4.

Soybeans- Aphid numbers are

low still. Fungicide application on

beans are down I would say.

There have been some reports of

white mold and some SDS coming

out. Overall if we get some rain in

August here, I think the beans

could surprise us in a good way.

The experienced farmers say rain

in August is worth 10

bushel/acre. Chances of rain later

this week look like a good

possibility. Waterhemp and Giant

Ragweed are looking good and

healthy this time of year…… I

would give beans a 3.5.

John Becker – Griswold, Iowa Still no rain. Local dairy starting to chop silage today. Poor

spots in corn fields completely yellow. Tip back in every

field. Guessing we are 30% or more off last year’s corn

yields.

Soybeans, if we don’t get a decent rain this week soybean

yields we really take a hit.

Corn rating 3.

Soybean rating 3.

Greg Artz – Story County,

Iowa

Travis Patton – Albia, Iowa

Corn – 1 of 5

Beans – 1 of 5

Both corn and beans are really starting to

burn up and show signs of significant

stress here in Monroe and surrounding

counties. The outlook here is not good

and getting worse with temps rising and

no significant rainfall in the foreseeable

future.