Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
07-10-07
Crops look good, others struggling to survive
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer
NEW HAMPTON --- Corn tassels are popping and soybeans are blooming all
across Northeast Iowa.
Crops not damaged by a hail storm last month in Northeast Iowa are developing
on schedule with few complications, experts said. However, as the crucial
pollination period is imminent for corn and fast approaching for soybeans, regular
shots of moisture are needed --- at least a half-inch a week.
Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said a little
more than one-quarter of Northeast Iowa corn fields are tasseled and nearly
three-quarter of soybean fields are blooming. However, leaves are curling from a
lack of moisture in some areas.
Iowa State University Extension officials reported severe hail damage to fields
east of Highway 63 from New Hampton to Lawler, leading to concerns about
stands, survival and impact on grain yields.
Don Blazek Jr., who farms a few miles southeast of Lawler said if a straight line
was drawn from the Case-IH dealership on the south side of New Hampton to the
Lawler water tower, that's where the worst damage occurred. Some plants got
completely stripped by pea-size to golfball-size hail in rare instances.
"We got off lucky," said Blazek. About 500 acres, or about one-quarter of this
crop ground, caught the edge of the hail storm. "Recovery on my ground has
been relatively good. It didn't get set back too much. However, we could use
some rain."
It takes about a week to 10 days to accurately assess hail damage, crop experts
said. By that time, re-growth of living plants will have begun and discolored dead
tissue will be apparent.
Accurately gauging yield losses, though, won't be known until the numbers pop
up on combine yield monitors. Damaged plants are more susceptible to
diseases. Deeply bruised plants may fall over just prior to harvest, making them
harder to combine.
"Standability at harvest is a concern. We could have lodging concerns," Blazek
said.
As of Sunday, 37 percent of the state's corn is tasseled and 18 percent is silked,
which are six days and three days ahead of the five-year average, respectively.
The crop is rated 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 53 percent
good and 19 percent excellent.
One local ag chemical dealer indicated that his distributor is out of a popular
fungicide that he had pre-sold and he will have to substitute another product.
Foliar diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight have not been as
common here as in other parts of the state.
"Much of the interest in fungicides on corn has been generated by higher corn
prices, an increase in corn on corn acres and tillage systems that leave more
crop residues on the surface; and reports of significant yield increases where
fungicides weren't applied," said George Cummins, an ISU Extension crop
specialist.
Soybeans statewide are blooming in 52 percent of the fields, the five-year
average is 39 percent. Seven percent are setting pods.
The crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 57 percent
good and 15 percent excellent.
Current soybean aphid levels at an ISU research plot near Decorah are
averaging 30 aphids per plant, according to ISU crop specialist Brian Lang. This
is still well below the threshold of 250 per plant, but requires at least weekly
scouting to stay on top of the situation.
"This is not the only field at this level. I had a couple of reports last Friday of
similar aphid pressures in fields in Allamakee County, and one corner of one field
that was over the 250 threshold," Lang said.
Pastures are having a hard time keeping up the grazing, the report said.
Livestock are also showing signs of stress due to heat. Fly populations continue
to pester livestock.
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.