Drought impacts stalks, disease tolerance, & yield

A regional agronomist says corn crop in the central United States is variable as it transitions to reproductive phases. Jon Skinner with Beck’s Hybrids works with farmers in Illinois and Iowa. He says the corn crops vary, based on location and rainfall. “Big portions of Illinois and Iowa are seeing some pretty significant reductions in rainfall amounts, so we’ve got corn that’s shoulder high and tasseling and we’ve got corn that’s V3, V4 right now.”

He says when conditions are dry at this time of the year, plants can struggle to uptake nitrogen and potassium, which can affect stalk strength, disease tolerance, and yield.

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