Knee high by the 4th of July. That’s what many corn growers hope for this time of the year, but a cool, wet spring and summer has many crops behind schedule.
“So when we look at where the corn crop is standing much of it is already in so I think we’re around the 70% range. But what we can see from the growth stage behind me we are dramatically behind where we should be this point in time. So these timely rains that keep coming day after day plus the lack of heat we’re looking at definitely not knee high by the 4th of July we’re looking at some V2 to V6 depending where we’re at.” Jamie Patton UW Extension
Sweet corn, soy beans, and many other crops have seen a slow season so far this year. A long stretch of heat and drier weather would greatly help the plants.
“When we look at the data coming from the Marshfield Ag Research Station what we’re seeing is that we’re 200 to 250 growing degree units behind. And a growing degree unit is basically the measurement of the max temperature minus min temperature, divided by two, minus 50. So it gives us an idea of how much heat we’ve accumulated over time. So 200 growing degree units is significant. It takes about 475 growing degree units to reach V6 or get six leaves on the corn plant so just to put that into perspective 200 is significant.”
With a delayed harvest looming during a high demand time of the year consumers could see some increase in corn cost across the area.
“I believe there will be a higher cost. It shouldn’t be too much more but I know the varieties down south coming up are more expensive already and I know a lot of the Indiana, Illinois, and the bog corn growing states have had the same problems that we’ve had.” Chris Blaser Owner Blaser’s Acres
