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- Late-season weather affecting corn crop
Originally published August 14, 2014
Over the past several days Louisiana has experienced some severe weather across the state. Most notable was the severe weather of August 11. Damage from this storm has been felt from northern Louisiana through the rice-growing areas of southern Louisiana. While reports of hail have been sporadic, damage from wind and heavy rains have been the primary concern. Unfortunately, with the rains that have been experienced across the region in the past several weeks, little of the corn crop has been harvested. This means that a large portion of the state’s crop was at risk for this damage. Driving across the state, many fields have been spared damage; however, others have not. Damage includes lodging of the tops of the plants to complete stalk lodging. At this stage in the corn growth cycle, anything short of complete stalk lodging should be of minimal concern, and there should be little effect on final yields. However, greater concern may be warranted for those with more intense lodging.
The next couple of days will determine how damaging complete stalk lodging will be. At this stage, corn lodging will not correct itself as it will at earlier vegetative stages. However, with most modern day harvesting equipment, producers will be able to capture most of what is currently on the ground. Where the problem arises is with the rain associated with the windy conditions. Lodged corn lying in standing water will begin to be an issue as time progresses. Not only will this corn not dry like the rest of the crop, seed sprout will start to develop. This sprouted seed will maintain relatively high moisture, and dockage will be incurred if high rates of sprouted seed develop. Therefore, it will begin to be essential that these spots dry in the coming days.
While it seems the extent of this damage will be minimal across the state, yield losses on affected fields will be more substantial. Conditions will not be fully known for the next several days.
For further questions or comments, contact:
Dan Fromme, Corn and Cotton Extension Specialist, dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu
Josh Lofton, Research Agronomist, jlofton@agcenter.lsu.edu