LATE SEASON HEAT HELPS CROPS
Thursday, September 17th, 2009 -- 10:43 AM
A local crops expert says the recent rash of above-normal temperatures is "just what the doctor ordered."Clark County UW Crops and Soils agent Richard Halopka says we?ve experienced about 1,918 Growing Degree Days this growing season ? well behind the normals.
"We've had low temperatures, overall. Low high temperatures and low low temperatures," he notes. "Typically, we'd have those 1,900 (GDDs) in August, so we're probably about 200-300 units behind this year."
The yields are looking pretty good, but maturity is a question.
"Typically, we'd be seeing corn in dent (stage) right now. We're still in the dough stages, and even some milk stages," he notes, "so that's our challenge: is it going to dry out."
Farmers are keeping their fingers crossed that the killing frost holds off until sometime in October. If not, they?ll get a lot of corn silage and high-moisture corn.
Depending on the frost date, the price of corn could shoot up quickly, Halopka says.
And, while we got off to a wet start this summer, we?ve been extremely dry in recent weeks. We are running around 8-inches below normal right now. While it?s had a bit of an impact this year, it will likely have a bigger impact on next year?s crop, Halopka says.
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