Weekly Weather and Crop Update Hot and Humid

Only two words are needed to describe last weeks weather, hot and humid! Temperatures averaged 77.7 degrees and that was a whopping 5.7 degrees above normal! Growing degree units totaled 188 which was 27 percent above normal. Our grand total growing degree units this year since May 1 stands at 1152.5 and that is 11 percent more than normal.

No rainfall was measured last week and typically we would have received 1.02 inches. It has been a little over one week since the heavy rains hit the Faribault area. However, in south central Minnesota only a half to .75 inches fell. Corn is beginning to tassel in many fields and very soon beans will begin setting pods. This is a critical time when corn is tasseling.

Beans will continue to flower and set pods for another 4 or 5 weeks. I have even seen beans flower and set more pods if you get a nice rain in late August or early September. But, Corn only tassels and pollinates for a few days one time during the growing season. Hot and dry with corn under moisture stress can hurt pollination and that's it, you lost some yield that cannot be recovered!