Local community, local economy: Watch, wait and pray for rain
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[July 02, 2012]
As the drought intensifies in Logan
County to D2 (severe) to D4 (exceptional), a quick poll of the
elevators brought corn predictions ranging from dire to moderate.
One major elevator operator in the area gave stern warnings that
they likely won't be here next year.
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John Fulton, U of I Extension adviser to Logan, Menard and Sangamon
counties, said it all depends on what rain we get in near time. He
said that ear size had already been determined at planting time by
the lack of moisture in the ground from a warm, dry winter, and
smaller ears might lead to kernel abortion. No matter what rain we
get from here on out, production is going to be lower because ear
size is smaller. Fulton said that rain and cooler weather are what
the doctor ordered. Corn is tasseling right now and needs rain to
pollinate. The daily forecasts through Friday show 10-20 percent
chances of rain, predicting nothing more than scattered showers.
Tuesday currently shows a 40 percent chance of showers. Daily
re-forecasts seem to lower the expectation of rain.
Ground moisture is so low in some areas that some corn plants are
already dying in strips where poorer soil types and drainage has
left the ground without any moisture at all.
Stressed corn plants are cannibalizing moisture in lower leaves
as well as ears of corn just to stay alive.
Aerial spray operators remain busy applying pesticides to crops
that might perish in the end. Crop insurance policies dictate that
the producer must continue to treat the crop as though it is going
to survive and produce until it is damaged, destroyed or dead.
Allen Shew of Chestervale elevator seemed a little more
optimistic.
"There is going to be a crop," he said. "Some areas will produce
better than others, and overall we might see production from zero to
150 bushels per acre."
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Unfortunately, there is little chance that corn production is
going to be in the 160- to 200-bushel range that producers hope for.
Both Shew and Fulton said that if this was 10 years ago, the corn
would have already died. Newer drought-resistant hybrids resist the
heat and tolerate the drought.
The drought in the central region will likely push the price of
corn up, which will compensate for lower harvest rates. Ethanol
producers are already scaling back or shutting down production
because of higher corn prices.
The only thing producers can do right now is watch, wait and
pray. No rain will likely mean no grain!
[By
JIM YOUNGQUIST]
Update: After this article was
submitted, slight rain did fall over Logan County on Saturday
evening. However, it was widely scattered and mostly insignificant.
Amounts varied, with most of the area receiving up to 0.1 inch and
isolated pockets of 0.01 inch west of Lincoln up to 0.75 inch in the
Lake Fork area. See precipitation map, choosing two-day cycle:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge2/RFC_Precip/
index.php?site=ilx&lat=40&lon=-89&zoom=4
Currently, there is a slight chance
of scattered storms later today and another chance on
Thursday. However, high temperatures continue to be forecast
through next Sunday.
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