Crops need more sunshine, heat
From staff and wire reports
Friday, September 12, 2008
Cooler temperatures and cloudy days are stunting some crops in Lyon County and rain is expected to continue through the weekend.
Brian Rees, Lyon County Extension agent, said he expects an above-average yield for corn and soybeans despite cooler temperatures. Milo, on the other hand, needs more heat, Rees said.
Rees said early-planted soybeans are looking good but have slowed down in maturity because of the cooler temperatures and days with less sunlight. Late-planted beans are maturing even more slowly.
“They need heat and sunshine,” Rees said, adding that it has often been cloudy during the day and it’s getting dark about a half hour earlier, affecting the beans’ maturity levels. “Most of the early soybeans are looking good. They are getting some color in them and leaves are starting to drop.”
The outlook for corn in Lyon County is good, Rees said.
“There is going to be a lot of good corn in Lyon County,” he said.
There are some isolated spots of corn that either have been flooded or hailed on, but overall the outlook is good.
“I anticipate the corn crop is going to be above average,” Rees said.
Rees said milo needs more heat to mature.
“I’ve seen some that doesn’t have much color in it.” he said. “The 40- to 50-degree nights aren’t helping that at all.”
There are several sunflower fields around Lyon County this year, Rees said. Despite the cooler weather, the sunflowers are developing well with vibrant yellow heads. Sunflowers can mature in cooler temperatures than other crops and are not being affected as much by the cooler temperatures, according to the Texas Cooperative Extension.
Statewide, according to the Associated Press, Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reports that 15 percent of the Kansas corn crop is now mature as harvest nears.
In its weekly crop report, the agency rates corn condition as 9 percent excellent, 42 percent good, 36 percent fair, 9 percent poor and 4 percent very poor.
The state’s sorghum is also making progress, with about 3 percent rated as mature. Its condition was pegged as 11 percent excellent, 48 percent good, 29 percent fair, 9 percent poor and 3 percent very poor.
Soybean condition was estimated as 19 percent excellent, 49 percent good, 27 percent fair, 4 percent poor and 1 percent very poor.