According to the US Drought Monitor Michiana is in Severe to Extreme Drought Stress. If you take a look at the national map there is more of the country in drought stress than not.
It's not hard to imagine what that means ... just take a look outside. Rolled corn, droopy soybeans, dead lawns ... the only thing that seems to be growing are a few weeds (Plantain Buckhorn is a wonder in itself, isn't it?!?).
Another resource that could prove helpful is the Crops and Drought page by Purdue University. It offers a ton of articles on the effects of drought on crops, including insect and disease pressure.
The critical stage for corn will be pollination. Drought stress causes the pollen to shed before the silks emerge, causing blank ears. If pollination happens to occur properly, the corn can still abort kernels if adequate moisture is not maintained.
As corn reaches this stage in the next week or two, we'll keep you updated.
Thanks for scouting with us!
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