Wet Pattern Fuels Corn Ear Issues
Corn Grain Quality Concerns Mount With Variable, Wet Weather
Matthew Wilde, DTN Crops Editor
ANKENY, Iowa (DTN) -- Reports of corn ear mold, ear rot and kernel sprouting are mounting across the Corn Belt and Southern Plains as wet and hot conditions take a toll on maturing crops. Farmers and agronomists fear another week of forecasted rain and heat will further threaten grain quality.
DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick said a cold front has stalled over much of the Midwest this week, stretching from the Nebraska-Kansas border to the southern Great Lakes. Repeated rounds of rain, ranging from less than an inch to more than 4 inches in isolated areas, are predicted to fall through Thursday, Sept. 17.
Rain in the Southwestern Plains is also possible, but not widespread. Areas south of the front, from eastern Kansas through the Ohio Valley, are likely to remain hot, with temperatures climbing into the 90s.
"The persistent wet pattern will do little to ease concerns about corn ear quality, which could worsen in some areas where crops are already showing signs of damage," Baranick said.
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