Can Corn and Soybean Crops Handle the Heat?
The rains that fell over most of Illinois during the first two weeks of July were most welcome, and in most cases came just in time to prevent problems with corn pollination. More than 80% of the corn crop is now into or finished with pollination, on pace with last year and with other seasons when planting was early and temperatures were near normal. When July rainfall is at or close to average and pollination is early, there is a strong possibility that yields will be good. As we have noted before, however, the difference between good yields and great yields usually is determined late in grain fill, when under great conditions kernels fill to more than their normal weight. In our planting date study here at Urbana, the March 30 planting is now in stage R3, which is the “roasting ear” stage of kernel development. This planting has received about 1,700 growing-degree days by now, which is about 65% of the total that this hybrid (109 days relative maturity) needs from planting to maturit
