Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
07-19-07
Yields blowing away in the wind
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer
OELWEIN --- Northeast Iowa farmers won't know for weeks the full extent of
damage to crops and possible yield losses from Monday's severe weather.
Crop experts say thousands of acres of corn and soybeans were pummeled by
winds exceeding 60 mph at times and pea- to grapefruit-size hail. Exact acreage
figures aren't available.
Leaning or lodged corn make up the vast majority of the damage, reports
indicate. The eastern half of Bremer County and the southern half of Fayette
County appear to be the hardest hit areas. It's not uncommon to see large fields
in the vicinity of Oelwein, Sumner and Oran almost completely flat.
Brian Lang, Iowa State University Extension crop specialist based in
Decorah, said this is the absolute worst time --- during the crucial seven- to 10day pollination period --- for crops to get hit. While corn will straighten up a bit as
it reaches for the sun, it will never be vertical again. That means its less likely
tassels shedding pollen will completely cover the silk on corn ears, if at all,
limiting development.
"We're going to have to walk in fields in two to three weeks. We'll know what kind
of ears we'll have," Lang said. "Some guys will be surprised how little of a yield
drop they will have. But there will be pockets with disastrous results."
Research by the University of Wisconsin indicates the average yield loss of
flattened corn during the pollination stage is 15 percent to 30 percent. The latest
crop report said 68 percent of Northeast Iowa corn was tasseled and 50 percent
silked.
Mark Stewart, who farms two miles east of Oelwein, said 35 of 500 acres of his
corn looks like a road roller took a wrong turn through his field. More is leaning,
but that section is the worst. He could tell Wednesday that stalks were already
starting to right themselves, but he's prepared to endure some losses.
"It's pretty depressing," Stewart said, knowing he won't harvest as big of what
promises to be a very profitable crop. "But I don't want to loose sleep over it. I try
to leave my problems at the back door.
"I've farmed for 25 years and always got a crop," he added. "You just have to
make sure you can live with the size you'll get."
The real impact of lodged corn will be felt at harvest. Even farmers with corn
reels --- a corn head attachment that spins long, metal curved spokes to pick up
corn off the ground --- say combines slow to a crawl. One-way harvesting is also
a very real possibility. Fields that should take hours could take days.
The chance for ears to drop before they get plucked into the combine increase.
And to top it off, corn heads have to be set so low that more dirt and rocks are
run through machines that cost up to a quarter-million dollars.
Ken Eggena of rural Denver isn't looking forward to combining his flat 110-acre
corn field near Sumner this fall.
"The worst part is the harvestability It's very difficult," Eggena said. He has a corn
reel. "It helps, but harvest is still tedious and slow. It's very hard on the machine
with the corn head in the dirt, which ruins chains and sprockets."
Even though only the end rows were mostly bent over in Al and Brenda
Winzenburg's corn fields near Sumner, when you farm 2,000 acres that adds up.
However, the couple is able to find a silver lining.
The 5 inches of rain that accompanied the storm in their area was crucial to keep
thirsty plants that are still upright thriving, she said, and help damaged plants
recover faster.
" We're not seeing puddling," Brenda said. After that much rain, it's a sign of how
dry the topsoil was getting. "It was badly needed."
According to Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather
Report, crops were starting to show signs of stress due to high temperatures and
limited moisture the past few weeks. Since April 1, Waterloo received 14.37
inches of rain prior to this week's rain events, which is .12 inches above normal.
However, most of that precipitation was in the first 2 1/2 months.
Crop experts said farmers can select hybrids that withstand root lodging better
than others, and ones that repel root-damaging pests. But there is nothing on the
market that can guarantee lodging won't occur.
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.