Here’s the latest planting update excerpted from the June 30 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service bulletin (for week ending June 27):

Corn: Nationally, 4 percent of the corn crop was at or beyond the silking stage, 1 point behind last year and 4 points behind the 5-year average. The most crop development had occurred in North Carolina and Texas, while silking had yet to begin in the Great Plains, Corn Belt, and Ohio Valley regions. Overall, 72 percent of the corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition, 2 points better than a week ago and an 11 point improvement from 2008.

Soybeans: Ninety-six percent of the 2009 soybean crop was planted by week’s end, 1 point ahead of the pace a year ago, but 2 points slower than the average. Emergence advanced 7 points during the week to 91 percent complete, 2 points ahead of the previous year, but 4 points behind the 5-year average. Aided by mostly sunny skies and above average temperatures, the most rapid crop development was evident in Tennessee, where 17 percent of the crop emerged during the week. Blooming, at 5 percent complete, was on par with the previous year, but 5 points behind normal. The crop was most advanced in the Delta, with Mississippi leading all States with 59 percent of the soybean acreage at or beyond the blooming stage. Sixty-eight percent of the crop was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 67 percent last week and 58 percent a year ago.

Northwest Iowa

Bruce Anderson reports 70+ mph winds this past week, which laid down a lot of the corn but didn’t snap any of it. Other than places suffering wind damage, it looks to be the best crop he has seen in a long time. He also wants farmers to be careful when spraying because he did see one instance of Roundup® drift on Liberty Link® corn.

North Central and Northeast Iowa

Tom Larson has received a few reports of uneven stands in soybean fields in North Central Iowa. In one case, seed maggots caused more than 110 acres to be replanted. A seed-applied insecticide such as Soy Shield Plus, would have prevented such an outbreak. In another instance, planter speed was the problem. Increased speed in a reduced tillage field resulted in very uneven emergence because many beans were left on the soil surface. Much of the corn has started to canopy over the rows. The fields that were planted in high residue are still showing the effects from it with uneven stands and yellow plants. The Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids™ Super Strip Plots look fantastic, and he urges everyone to keep an eye on these plots all season long to get the first look at products that will be in our lineup next year.

West Central Iowa

Travis Slusher reports heavy storms passing through last Tuesday afternoon brought 1.5 inches of rain along with high winds and spotty hail. He spent Wednesday driving through the western part of his area and, for the most part, crops faired extremely well compared to other areas. Jim Heckman and Travis were in fields on Tuesday morning and found corn head high and beans beginning to flower. No signs of any insect pressure, but many beans need to be sprayed when the ground dries enough. The haying season has been a challenge to say the least with many areas having hay on the ground for 10-14 days due to the rain. Some alfalfa has black mold due to all of the moisture.

South Central Iowa

Bart Peterson reports that corn in his area is looking excellent with it being anywhere from waist to chest high. One issue he noticed is some corn-on-corn doesn’t look healthy from too much moisture. He also noticed a little wind damage from recent storms. The beans in his area are perking up and looking good. Plus, there hasn’t been any insect pressure to report.

Eastern Iowa

Brad Beatty’s area also suffered some storm damage the past week. Winds were clocked at 80+ miles per hour (mph). As a result, several varieties took a beating. Dry weather is needed to spray soybeans. The wet weather and strong winds are making it a challenge to make hay, spray pastures and mow oats. Leaf hoppers are heavy in the alfalfa and must be sprayed! Many bean fields are weedy and need to be sprayed ASAP.

South Dakota

Eastern South Dakota has received rain on a daily basis this past week, according to Bill Eichacker. The wet weather is making putting up alfalfa a nightmare. Forage harvestors are blowing the hay back on the field. Second crop alfalfa is growing through the window. The corn crop has grown quickly and has canopied. As a result, the corn plants are holding back some of the weed pressure. The added heat and humidity has really pushed the corn crop growth, but too much rainwater sitting in the fields for days is cutting off oxygen to the plant making it yellow. Soybeans have finally seen the sun. The past week’s cool and cloudy days are not beneficial for soybeans. Spraying of row crops is a challenge due to wet field conditions and taller corn.

Minnesota

Jason Obermeyer reports that corn is really pushing hard to make up for lost time in May. Within the past week, corn has doubled in size and will continue to do so with daytime temps in the 80’s and nights in the upper 60’s. He’s seeing rat-tailed leaves on corn as well as really brittle stalks. Both are due to the speed at which the plant is growing. Leaves are coming out so quickly that some of them aren’t unrolling completely before the nexst one is out, giving it the appearance of herbicidal injury when, in fact, it’s a case of too fast too soon. Stalk brittleness is a major concern, in most fields, regardless of hybrid number or brand, you can push on stalks and they will snap right off. This will be a challenge for standability in the event of heavy rain and high winds. Beans are really growing. Bean fields that were planted early, had seed treatment and were plowed really look good. All three of these factors have played into making strides in the pursuit of higher yield, especially in a May that was mostly cold and wet early, then dry.

Wisconsin

Steve Bailie reports that the corn in the area is growing very rapidly due to the amount of heat his area received in the past four to five days. Corn is 95% canopied in the area, only the late-planted fields have not made it to canopy yet. The majority of the corn has been sprayed except for the fungicides that must be sprayed with airplanes. Beans have started to grow faster and are turning the deep green that they should be instead of the pale yellow that they have been the last two weeks due to cold weather. Steve found the first aphids of the season on Wednesday afternoon, but there weren’t enough to worry about spraying for them yet. Most of the first crop hay is getting wrapped up this week, and a few farmers are getting started on the second crop. Parts of the area received much needed rainfall late last week. Steve says rainfall this year has been the spottiest he’s ever seen, and it’s making many famers nervous. All in all, the crops have had what they need to get a great yield started.

Earlier on this blog we wrote about our trip to Memphis and John’s memorable performance as the Honorary Duckmaster at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis during the hotel’s famous Duck March. Well, we now have exclusive video of the event, posted here for the first time. Enjoy the world premiere of this fowl-length feature:

Here’s the latest planting update excerpted from the June 23 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service bulletin (for week ending June 20):

Corn: The 2009 corn crop continued to develop at a slower-than-normal pace in many locations across the Corn Belt because of delayed spring planting. In Iowa, the largest corn-producing State, emergence was nearly complete, buEditt the average height of this year’s crop was shorter than normal. Overall, 70 percent of the crop was rated in good to excellent condition, unchanged from a week ago, but 11 points better than a year ago.

Soybeans: Soybean producers had planted 91 percent of this year’s soybean crop by June 21, one point ahead of last year, but 4 points behind the 5-year average. Planting was complete or nearly complete across the Great Plains and most of the Delta and Corn Belt. However, with just 79 percent of the intended acreage in the ground, planting in Illinois, the second largest soybean-producing state, remained over 3 weeks behind normal. Emergence reached 84 percent complete by week’s end, 4 points ahead of 2009, but 6 points behind the average. Following several weeks of intense planting, favorable growing conditions allowed for rapid crop development in North Dakota where 25 percent of the crop emerged during the week. Overall, 67 percent of the soybean crop was rated in good to excellent condition, a slight improvement from a week ago and 10 points better than last year.

Wednesday afternoon, storms hit hard in Franklin County. Here’s a recap and some photos of the main event from our own Chris Latham.

We spent a good part of the afternoon in the basement as funnel clouds and strong winds passed over the seed plant. Several fields have downed corn, but the seed plant fared well considering the winds.

One main tree came down in the front lawn and quite a few branches from other trees. An auger was flipped over and the door on the South Warehouse blew in. The top of one of the bins along the west side of the property was ripped open.

Don and Marilyn Latham reported the most damage at their property. Two bins were completely destroyed and the barn also showed quite a bit of damage. The power was off for around an hour, but this wasn’t close to the damage faced in neighboring Hampton, Iowa and Coulter, Iowa where the funnel cloud actually touched down.

Here is a photo of the bins at Don and Marilyn Latham’s farm.

As the email accompanying this video said, “A good rhythm section is hard to find.” This appears to be a Hungarian video, according the the YouTube file information. Old tractors still have a place in this world. The band isn’t bad, either.

Healthy soybean field (photos by X.B. Yang, Iowa State University plant pathologist, in StopSoybeanRust.com)

There are a number of online sources starting to report that conditions may be favorable for soybean rust to hit Midwestern fields this season. Iowa State University Extension runs a site called The Rust Report. A recent posting on June 17 reported that “…Alabama’s extension soybean pathologist said that soybean rust was 3-4 weeks ‘ahead of schedule,’ and it is farther north than in previous years. Georgia’s soybean pathologists said that ‘these early finds mean that soybean rust could be a real threat to the soybean crop if the disease continues to progress.’”

Soybean field defoliated by soybean rust

As Daren Mueller, a member of ISU’s soybean rust team, reports, ag specialists in the south earlier in the year were seeing soybean rust appear on kudzu. Kudzu is a vine plant that is loved and hated in Georgia and Alabama. It’s a pest plant that proliferates around abandoned buildings, yet can also be fed as temporary, high-quality forage that cattle tend to like. Earlier this month, some low level rust was found in a kudzu patch in Georgia. That finding has now been updated to include some rust found on southern soybeans. Weather conditions may be favorable for the rust to spread in the Southeastern states. That means we should be on the lookout in the Midwest as growing season progresses.

The Rust Report provides a lot of helpful information on management of soybean rust, how to spot it, how to make sure it’s rust and not a look-alike disease, and many other tips.

According to Stop Soybean Rust.com, “the main effects (of rust) on the soybean plant are destruction of photosynthetic tissue, which in turn causes premature defoliation, early maturation, and severe yield reductions through reduction in the number of pods and seeds, and decreased seed weight.” So close monitoring and information sharing is essential as rust moves out of the South.

Be assured we’ll keep you updated on any notable developments.

Northwest Iowa
Bruce Anderson says crops in his area received beneficial rains that were needed. The weeds are under control, and the corn is growing fast. Now, he’s just hoping the high humidity doesn’t cause high winds or hail to damage such good looking crops.

North Central and Northeast Iowa
Tom Larson reports that the crops are really starting to look good. Timely rains this past week, combined with warmer temperatures, really contributed to plant growth.

Central Iowa
Bob Collins believes one of the prettiest sights in Iowa is when the corn is almost shading the row, and this is the stage that most corn in central Iowa is in now.  Soybeans are a long way from shading the row, but they are very nicely rowed.
Another pretty sight is when a grassy and weedy field has been sprayed long enough to see that the Roundup® is working. The bright green rows emerging from the pale green is something to behold. Maybe the reason Bob thinks this is so amazing is because he can remember the days when only a cultivator was used to remove grass from the field. He had to check the corn, so it could be cultivated both ways without auto steer.
With all the rains lately, some corn fields have not been sprayed but most fields planted to Roundup Ready Corn can still be cleaned up with very little yield loss.

West Central Iowa
Travis Slusher reports rain, rain and more rain!  This week his farm received 1.5 inches of rain with nearby farms receiving in excess of 2 inches.  Last week his farm received more than 2 inches of rain, while many other farms in the area received in excess of 3 inches during that for same time period.  Given all of the rain, Travis said area crops don’t look too bad.   There have been isolated areas of hail, with minor damage to the crops in these areas. The majority of the corn in his area is canopied or very near canopy with most soybeans in the V2 to V4 range.  A stretch of dry weather is needed, so farmers can spray.  There is significant weed pressure in beans and smaller corn.

East Central Iowa
Wayde McNeil reports corn is at V7 to V9 growth stage.  Beans are at the V3 to V4 growth stage. He said they could use more heat because they are behind on heat units. Half of the hay is still in the field because of the wet weather. He hasn’t seen any major insect pressure at this time

South Central Iowa
Bart Peterson says corn is really looking nice, and he has seen some corn plants that are already chest high. Soybeans could use more heat to help them reach their yield potential. No insect pressure is evident at this time.

Eastern Iowa
Brad Beatty reports the corn has really grown this past week due to lots of rain and heat.  Most corn has canopied. However, the rain has slowed down fieldwork.  A lot of beans still need to be sprayed. Some hay has been cut for 10 days now without a chance to get it baled.

South Dakota
Bill Eichacker reports that corn has really pushed through its stages as finally the heat has come back along with the humidity from the rains. Bean leaf beetles have been seen in bean fields as has volunteer corn, thanks to the 60+ mile-per-hour winds that occurred last year. Sprayers are going when possible. Winds and wet low spots in the fields are making it a challenge to get the spraying done.

Alfalfa harvest is lagging 10% behind last year due to rain. Some acres have not been completely cut and will face missing one cutting as the 30-day window approaches when the first cutting is normally put up. Frequent rains have made it a struggle for producers who want to bale hay. Parts of his region have received more than 2 inches of rain in a single day. Parts of South Dakota on Tuesday had severe weather with high winds and large jagged hail.

Nebraska
Brian Banks reports that it finally rained in his area.  During the past two weeks, they’ve had 4 to 8 inches across his territory. Crops look very good, with a few isolated areas damaged by hail.

Minnesota
Jason Obermeyer says crop conditions have improved throughout the week due to warmer temperatures and much needed rainfall. Unfortunately, recent severe storms caused considerable crop damage in the Austin and Rose Creek areas. Applications of fungicides following hail events have shown some yield increases but as always follow label directions.

Here’s the latest planting update excerpted from the June 16 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service bulletin (for week ending June 13):

Highlights: The Nation’s mid-section was abnormally wet during the week, while areas along the Canadian and Mexican borders, as well as in the Southeast were mostly dry. A slow-moving frontal boundary brought more than 4 inches of rainfall to some locations in the already-soggy Corn Belt. With the exception of much of the Pacific Northwest, temperatures in the western half of the country were cooler than normal. In northeastern Wyoming, temperatures fell to as many as 14 degrees below average. Temperatures across the majority of the eastern United States were warmer than normal.

Corn: Nationally, 95 percent of the 2009 corn crop had emerged, 1 point ahead of last year’s pace, but 3 points slower than the 5-year average. Despite cooler than normal temperatures, the most advancement occurred in North Dakota, where 25 percent of the corn crop emerged during the week, pushing development to 90 percent complete, 6 points behind last year and 8 points behind normal. Overall, 70 percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition, a slight improvement from a week ago and 13 points better than the previous year.

Soybeans: By week’s end, 87 percent of the soybean crop was planted, 4 points ahead of last year, but 5 points behind the average. The most activity was evident in Arkansas and Kentucky, where 19 percent of the intended soybean acreage was planted in both States during the week. Despite this progress, Arkansas remained 2 weeks behind the 5-year average and Kentucky slightly over 1 week behind normal. Following several weeks of intense planting, crop emergence reached 72 percent complete Nationwide, 3 points ahead of development a year ago, but 11 points behind the 5-year average. Sixty-six percent of the Nation’s soybean crop was rated in good to excellent condition, 10 points better than a year ago.

Shannon Latham: Official Biker Chick

Sunday (Epilogue)

After completing this course, I’m an absolute safety nut and will have that attitude at all times when riding a cycle. With that in mind, I want to offer a few learnings about protective gear.

Protective gear helps a rider stay comfortable, improves visibility if it’s brightly colored and reflective and protects against the elements in all kinds of conditions.  Every rider and passenger should wear:

• Sturdy, over-the-ankle footwear with nonslip soles
• Long pants
• Good jacket
• Full-fingered gloves
• A helmet manufactured to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) standards with proper eye protection; helmets with full-face protection do the best job of sealing out wind, dust and bugs.

Protective gear should fit comfortably without binding.  A jacket with a zippered front will be more wind resistant than a jacket with buttons or snaps.  A flap of material over the zipper of a jacket gives additional protection against the wind along with protecting your motorcycle’s paint from scratches.  Jackets with snug cuffs and waist are recommended to keep wind from blowing in.  Caution:  a large, loose,  jacket can flap when riding and may irritate skin or be a distraction.

In cold-weather riding, protective gear protects riders against hypothermia.  Hypothermia, a condition of subnormal body temperature, can cause loss of concentration, slowed reactions and loss of smooth, precise muscle movement.  As an example, on a chilly day (50 degrees Fahrenheit) a motorcyclist riding at a speed of 30 mph experiences a chilling effect equivalent to 42 degrees.
In hot-weather riding, protective gear protects riders against heat exhaustion.  Heat exhaustion, characterized by dizziness and headache, can hamper clear thinking and concentration.  Dressing for hot-weather riding requires protective gear that breathes, and riders should drink plenty of water.
Source:  Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Now, bring on the Freedom of Independence Ride!