The Rain Came Just In Time For The Corn
Trent Brandenburg’s corn crop was badly hurting from the drought in May and June. The tassels were emerging on the shortest corn stalks in recent memory. The rain came with the huge derecho on July 8, 2023, and more reasonable showers since. Trent says, “The cornstalks grew two feet after it rained.” He says his corn pollination is complete; he thinks the rain came in time.
Trent estimates that his soybean crop was hurt during the drought, but they seem to have a normal pod count, “but the plants are short.” Trent would like to see the soybean plants taller for his visual comfort, but he knows that the soybeans will continue making pods for a couple of months yet.
More from The Field Report
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest
Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]
In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest
The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties. Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn [...]
Summertime Mowing And Spraying
Trent Brandenburg has been busy mowing his lawn and his roadsides due to the sunshine and frequent rains making his grass grow as well as his corn and soybeans. He has been hiring aerial spraying of fungicides to suppress disease [...]