Crops Getting Plenty of Rain

Rains Soak the Growing Area Causing Ponding and Filling Up Ditches

Despite nearly six inches of rain on June 25th in nearby McLean County, Illinois, Trent just got heavy rains but there is more in the forecast. His corn crop is doing well, “but the beans needed the rain,” he observed. They certainly got it over the weekend with nearly 5″ of rain around Cerro Gordo and plenty of ponded fields.

The rainstorms of recent weeks have been accompanied by wind strong enough to blow some of his corn over. “It stood right back up. Corn is pretty forgiving this time of year,” Trent noted.

Ponding at this late date, bad enough to consider replanting, is a decision that depends upon the planting date. For example. corn planted before April 1 does not usually qualify for crop insurance to pay for the replant. So any replant decision will vary from field to field, depending upon the original planting date and the extent of the ponding. The economic decision is whether a late replant will yield enough to be worth the expense.