by John Toft, Latham RSM
Tekemaha, Nebraska
As reported in Latham’s weekly crop report for June 8, the last few weeks have brought some much needed heat to Nebraska. The University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) reports that we’re more than one week behind on growing degree units (GDUs). The lack of heat explains why so much of our corn and soybean crops have been slow growing and why we’ve had slow emerging corn this season.
While we welcomed the heat, Mother Nature recently brought several other unwelcome conditions to western Iowa and Nebraska. Last Monday’s strong winds, rain and isolated pockets of hail have caused crop injury in some counties.
Wet conditions, combined with injury, make plants ripe for insects and disease. Be on the lookout for especially for Pythium as you’re out scouting fields.
Insects and disease are a real threat, but they pale in comparison to the threats from floodwaters that farmers and ranchers are facing in other parts of this region. Flooding is unprecedented due to record levels of snowfall in the Rocky Mountains, a late snow melt, combined with extra heavy rains in May.
The Missouri River continues to rise. A speaker for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that it’s like to reach levels surpassing the 1952 flood. A recent article in the Des Moines Register provided an update on how Iowa and Nebraska counties threatened by the flood are good corn-producing regions.
Fortunately, the American spirit is shining through as volunteers continue to do what they can to move people and property to higher ground. Our hearts go out to those whom are affected.
When I sit down to write articles for our blog, I feel like I'm sitting down with my family at the dinner table, ready to talk about 