IP Crop Network, September 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. You should also follow David Kee on Twitter for some of the latest, most-interesting information on agronomy and research that affect IP and other farmers.

Illinois

A mixed bag across the state on moisture. While some areas have received rainfall in the past 30 days, just as many areas have not. The soybean crop in the areas of no rain really have started to show the signs of the drought stress, and it is happening at the very crucial grain-fill period. Early maturities have turned yellow and are heading to maturity fast, while the later maturities are still green in most cases and have not yet reached maturity. In the double-crop areas that have missed the rains, areas of many fields are actually dying from a lack of moisture. I have spent more time in soybeans fields in the past four weeks than I have in the previous four years combined.

There is a lot happening in our bean fields. I have found all of the following: SDS, red crown rot, soybean vein necrosis, brown stem rot, triazole fungicide phytotoxicity, phytophthora, thrips, spider mites, dectes stem borer, soybean loopers, green clover worms, pod worms, and web worms. Name a disease or bug and it’s probably out there.

Some ultra early varieties planted in the south are now being harvested with average yields being reported. What was once thought to be the bright spot, the soybean crop, has dropped off a bit and most are reporting/expecting average yields.

Corn harvest is starting to gain steam. By next week, 50%of the growers will have at least started. Moistures are running in the 20-28% range on April planted with yields right around APH levels or slightly under.

– Scott A. Eversgerd, Field Agronomist – Southern Illinois, Pioneer Hi-Bred Int’l

Michigan

The Michigan soybean crop is advancing in maturity across the state with some color change occurring in early maturity and early planted fields. Other visible changes are from disease symptoms, primarily white mold and SDS. These diseases are taking significant bushels but are mostly spotty within fields.  Rainfall during podfill was adequate in most places which has built some optimism for yields. As crop maturity become more obvious, variability within fields will be a clear harvest challenge.

Many fields have emergence timing ranges of more than a month due to very dry seedbed conditions which were not alleviated until late June.  It appears that there won’t be much soybean harvest in September this year.

The most recent crop progress report from NASS rates the Michigan soybeans as 53% good to excellent.  This report also shows 85% adequate to surplus topsoil moisture.

– Mark Seamon, Research Director, Michigan Soybean Committee

Minnesota

Minnesota is dry!

Ninety-nine-plus percent of the state is rated abnormally dry (D0) to extreme drought (D3) stage. Rains in early August eased drought stress a bit. However, according to the Sept. 5 USDA-NASS MN Crop Progress report: “Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 71% short to very short, and 29% adequate. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 72% short to very short, and 28% adequate.”

After a late start planting, due to excessive moisture in May, harvest is underway in Minnesota. The small grains harvest is all but completed. Due to accelerated maturation, harvest of corn and beans will soon follow. One farmer stated, “Crops are 1-2 weeks ahead of normal”.

Northwest Minnesota small grain growers are reporting decent yields. Crop yield estimates are variable, but the overall farmer expectation for 2023 harvest is fair yields and quality. Minnesota growers appear to be more concerned with drought impact on a “short” (poor yield) corn crop than soybean. Time will tell.

The recent rains have also spurred germination of late-season weeds, especially waterhemp, in soybean/edible bean/small grain fields. Most weed populations are manageable, however, there has been increased grower interest in alternative pre- and post-harvest weed control options, such as use of weed seed destructors and weed electrification systems. “Planting green” into 2023 cereal rye cover crops proved to be risky in some drought impacted areas. Obviously, there is a lot more to learn before adoption of this practice becomes widespread. There has been some concern expressed on the volunteer corn still present in soybean fields and the impact on corn insect and disease pressure for next year’s corn crop.

Growers are optimistic about having time to complete fall field work and tillage after a harvest.

– David Kee, Director of Research, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council

Missouri

Getting into mid-September, we have finally seen a few days under 90 degrees. Right now, central Missouri is seeing some of its first precipitation in weeks, with only 0.25 inches expected to fall on Monday in portions of the state. As our forecast for temps change this week, we will be looking at temps hovering in the upper 70s to lower 80s range this week and into the weekend with lows in the mid to upper 50-60s range. There looks to be very little rain coming our way over the next 10 days. With some temperature relief in most of the state, harvest will be full speed ahead for rice and corn and into soybeans.

Our corn crop is about 98% at dough, 94% of crop at dent, and 51% of the corn crop is rated as mature. This results in about 9% of the corn crop harvested to date. Overall, the heat and dry weather this year resulted in our corn crop only rating 33% good for this week per the USDA data. Our soybean crop is starting to mature with 17% of the crop dropping leaves and about 39% of the crop rated as good. Our cotton crop is setting bolls with 97% of the crop set, and 34% of the Missouri cotton crop is seeing bolls open. Sixty-five percent of the cotton crop is rated as good. Our rice crop is hitting the headers across the southeast corner of the state with 14% of the rice crop harvested. For this week, the Missour rice crop rated good across 60% of the acres.

– Bryan Stobaugh, Director of Licensing and Commercialization, Missouri Soybeans

North Dakota

Soybeans are advancing nicely in North Dakota. Soybean harvest started last week for very early maturing soybeans in the east and southeast parts of the state.

We had some disease issues during the 2023 production year. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) continues to be a problem in soybean production. An increase in SCN numbers has been tested on June SCN samples according to Agvise laboratories; this could be due to conducive environmental conditions for SCN development during the growing season. The spread of SCN to western North Dakota also raises more challenges to soybean production in that region. Phytophthora pressure is heavy this year. Late-season phytophthora is showing up in multiple soybean fields. Also, the phytophthora pathogen is shifting to new soybean production areas in western North Dakota. High numbers of soybean aphids, grasshoppers, and spider mites were reported. White mold has been consistently an issue, especially in fields that received rainfall and have high yield potential.

We had spotty rains during the growing season, so yields might be variable this year. We anticipate harvesting average or slightly below-average. yields According to USDA estimates, the estimated average yield in North Dakota is about 33 bu/acre, which is slightly lower than last year’s average of 35 bu/acre. We believe the estimation is close to reality given the growing condition we have this year.

The NASS report rated soybean conditions as 4% very poor, 14% poor, 31% fair, 46% good, and 5% excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 47%, ahead of 34% last year, and near 46% for the five-year average.

– Miki Miheguli, Research Programs Coordinator, North Dakota Soybean Council

Wisconsin

Wisconsin experienced 6.6 suitable days for fieldwork during the week ending on Sept. 10, as reported by USDA-NASS. Although there was some improvement in drought conditions in the northern parts of the state due to rain, the overall dryness persisted in most areas, further deteriorating crop conditions.

Corn is at 92% in the dough stage and 66% in the dented stage, which is 3% ahead of the 2018-2022 average for both stages. Corn in the mature stage accounted for approximately 16%, and the corn condition was rated as 50% good to excellent, reflecting a 3% decrease from the previous week and the previous year. Corn for silage harvest is 18% completed.

Soybeans have set pods in 99% of the soybean crop, with 9% of soybeans currently dropping leaves, trailing behind the five-year average by 3%. The soybean condition was reported as 47% in good to excellent condition, showing a 6% decline from the previous week and a 9% decline from the previous year.

— Shawn Conley, State Extension Soybean and Small Grain Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Note: To see state Crop Progress reports from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): click here.