IP Crop Network, July report

This monthly feature from SSGA’s Agronomy Action Team highlights growing conditions for Identity Preserved crops from different regions around the country. Thanks to the states/regions that contributed this month. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with David Kee or Shane Frederick.  

Illinois 

All you have to do is look at a map and see just how far it is from Chicago to Cairo, and with that considerable distance, the weather patterns vary greatly. Beginning around the last week of June, much of the state was getting excessive rainfall and flooding was a real concern across much central Illinois. The southern quarter of the state remained pretty dry, as did the northern tier of counties. This past week has seen the rains a little more widespread with almost all areas getting some rain.  

Most of the Illinois corn crop is now in that critical period: two weeks prior to pollination to two weeks post pollination. This four-week period will have a very significant impact on the final yield of the crop. With the recent rainfall and moderate temperatures, the overall Illinois crop looks to be in pretty good shape. This past week has seen a lot of growers applying fungicides to the crop to protect the yield from the major corn diseases like Gray Leaf Spot and Northern Corn Leaf Blight. The other disease that is keeping our attention is Southern Rust, and its northern movement out of the southern U.S. As of July 12, the pathogen has moved into Tennessee and a few unverified reports out of western Kentucky. 

Illinois’ wheat crop is mostly harvested by now, and the overall thought is that it was likely the best wheat crop most growers have ever harvested. In southern Illinois, where most of the acres are planted, field/farm averages were often in 90 to over 100 bu/acre. Grain quality was also very good with very little mycotoxin in the grain and exceptional test weights in the low 60s. 

The soybean crop is also advancing quite nicely with most acres having been treated with their final herbicide post applications. As mother nature continues to fight back, every year we have just a little more difficult of a time killing weeds, especially waterhemp and palmer pigweed. All we have to do is watch what is happening in the south to get a clearer picture of where we will be in 2-4 years – and the picture painted there isn’t very pretty. Pigweed species are developing resistance to all of the latest herbicide technologies. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this situation develops over the next five years. 

So far, 2021 so far has been on trend with 2019 and 2020, with a warm, dry April; a cool, wetter May; a hot, dry June; and a moderate-temperature, wet July. If the pattern holds, August and September will be hot and dry. 

Click here for the most-recent USDA NASS crop progress condition report for Illinois. 

Michigan 

The Michigan soybean crop continues to progress through late vegetative and reproductive growth stages with the most-advanced fields in R3 and others soon to begin flowering. Recent rainfall has alleviated much of the drought-like conditions with most of the soybean-growing area of the state now in the USDA categories of abnormally dry and no dryness. The variability of these rainfall events ranged from adequate rains to excessive amounts with ponding in low areas. Some areas with higher rainfall amounts are now dealing with stressed soybeans, which are showing early signs of SDS and Phytophthora, oxygen depleted soils, reduced nitrogen fixation and limited nutrient availability.   

The most-recent NASS report is rating the soybean crop as 64% good to excellent and 6% poor to very poor. This rating is similar to one month ago.       

There is much interest in the timing of crop maturity this season, as corn tasseling is occurring earlier than normal and soybeans are moving through reproductive growth stages. Hopefully crops will extend their reproductive periods instead of reaching full maturity early. For most farmers, there is a general sense of optimism as we get closer to the most critical period of pod fill with good plant health or the possibility to improve soybean health prior to reaching that stage.             

Minnesota 

Minnesota is dry. Approximately 93% of the state is in moderate to severe drought status. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 78% short to very short. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 73% short to very short. As noted, soil moisture reserves are very limited.  

Most of the annual crops are now in the reproductive growth stages, the period of maximum evapotranspiration and sensitivity to drought damage (seed set and seed fill). Small grain crop yields already have been impacted in northwest Minnesota. Early June was a period of excessive (>95F) heat, which also impacted small grain seed set and fill. As soybean and corn are currently in early reproductive stages, timely rains could still provide moisture needed for decent yields. Consequently, yield for these crops is predicted to be highly variable due to summer precipitation patterns (scattered thundershowers across the landscape). 

Disease and insect pressure have been manageable to date with no regional outbreaks reported. Weed control programs have been mostly effective to date. As the residual control for most of the pre-emergent programs have lapsed, the lack of canopy closure over much of the soybeans is worrisome.  The current recommendation is to scout, scout, then scout some more. These and other concerns will make July and August two very long months. 

Missouri 

June brought us above-normal temperatures for the first three weeks, but toward the end of the month, there was a departure to lower temperatures for the state. The conditions for those first three weeks led producers to critical areas of drought, especially in corn due to growth stage. But by the fourth week, we were seeing flooding conditions across many areas of the state.  

Over the last 12 days of the month, we ended up recording the wettest June in decades with some areas reaching 10-plus inches of rain. According to radar estimates during the last week of the month, northwest and central areas of the state saw anywhere from 10 to more than 15 inches, while the southeast portion of the state saw less than 2 inches of rain. This resulted in June being the fifth month in 2021 with above average precipitation.  

For the week ending July 11, the USDA update for Missouri crops is as follows: Corn silking was at 39% and 2% of the crop was at dough. Only 3% of rice was headed, and there was 88% of winter wheat harvested.  

Corn conditions were 53% good, and soybeans were 51% good with 20% blooming and 4% setting pods. Overall cotton was leading the conditions report with 69% being good. Rice was holding steady with 51% of the crop being in good condition. Pastureland was faring well with 66% being good. Soft red winter wheat took a significant hit with the rain at the end of June, and we saw extreme docking at the terminal delivery points due to extremely low test weight and poor quality.  

North Dakota 

North Dakota is in a drought for most of the state. According to the latest NASS report, soybeans are rated 11% very poor, 26% poor, 42% fair, 20% good and 1% excellent. These might be optimistic ratings, especially when the next week we are expected to have temperatures in the 90s. Soybean fields are yellowing in spots, and we expect it is the early signs of Soybean Cyst Nematode or root rot. Even with rain the yields have taken a big hit.  

Small grain has matured quickly, and harvest will begin soon. In some of the harder-hit areas, ranchers have cut the small grain for hay, as there are poor grazing conditions and the hay crop is small or non-existent.  

Corn is showing severe drought stress and is tasseling. Expect pollination rates to be hurt by the continued hot, dry weather.