[July 26, 2012]    

This week an area farmer went to the field to see what his corn crop was looking like. What he found was more than a little disappointing.

Some of the ears he peeled back showed only a few maturing kernels. Others showed full ears, but the ears themselves are short, which means lower yields any way you look at it.
 

Over the years the seed industry has worked to produce corn plants that will endure any situation from extreme wet and cold to extreme heat and dry.

For many, the idea that there will be a corn crop at all after the season we're having is remarkable.

 

On a national level, experts have predicted that corn yields will average 140 bushels per acre. However, that figure is now changing daily as each day passes with no significant rainfall in the area.

 

Corn has now reached the stage where no new kernels will develop on the ears.

What the entire field will look like by harvest time is yet to be seen, but this farmer said he is hoping he'll find more full ears like the two to the left. Even if they are small, it will be a far cry better than if the entire field looks like the pictures above.