Improves pollination Rain and cool temperatures during the silking stage improve yield
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Recent showers in the U.S. Midwest crop belt and outlooks for more rain accompanied by cooler temperatures will boost prospects for the pollinating corn crop, an agricultural meteorologist says.
“Temperatures will definitely be cooler, which will be good for corn and beans,” said Don Keeney, a meteorologist for MDA Weather Services.
The corn crop was planted late this season, which delayed the critical weather-sensitive pollination or reproductive stage of development to late July from early July.
A turn to moderate temperatures and rainfall will now help boost U.S. crop production prospects and may keep corn prices at lower levels.
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“The (weekend) rains in Iowa were beneficial,” said Sterling Smith, futures specialist for Citigroup.
The previous two weeks had been dry and warm and that caused the crop’s condition to deteriorate a little.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said July 22 that 63 percent of the corn crop was in good to excellent shape, down from 66 percent the previous week. Iowa, the largest corn producer, was at 55 percent good to excellent
The crop’s maturity caught up a little, with 43 percent of it at the silking stage across the country, although that was still behind the 56 percent five-year average pace.
Keeney said much of the Midwest had rain over the July 20-21 weekend and more rain was expected early this week and again later in the week.
Most of the Midwest was expected to receive six to 40 millimetres of rain, and high temperatures were expected to fall to the high 20s C from the low 30s C, Keeney said.
“The area of concern about dryness is Iowa, northwest Illinois and far northern Missouri,” he said.
“These areas won’t receive much rain.”
The northwestern portion of the Midwest, including Iowa, would remain drier than desired, he added.
Commodity Weather Group said one-third of the corn belt, mainly northeastern Nebraska, northern and central Iowa, southwestern Minnesota, central and northern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin, would remain dry, but the lack of heat would boost corn pollination prospects.
