Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
'Goosenecked' corn abundant across region
This cornfield along Second Street Southeast in Hartley was wind-whipped by the July 5 derecho, but has since rebounded.
Travelers passing throughout northwest Iowa aren't seeing things.
Several local cornfields have stalks with a curve near their base. These aren't new hybrids, but rather the plant's reaction to the July 5 derecho.
The storm barreled through northwest Iowa leaving downed power lines, felled trees and flattened fields in its wake. Wind speeds around Hartley reached 79 mph, which slanted several local cornfields.
"Most of the crop damage was corn that 'lodged' or tilted at about a 45 degree angle in northern counties," said ISU Extension agronomist Joel DeJong, whose nine-county territory includes O'Brien County. "Within a couple of days, these plants did regain their upward growth, but with a little jog near the base of the plant, which we refer to as 'goosenecking.' "
The storm hit early Tuesday evening and by Friday, most lodged corn had righted itself. Some fields reported greensnap, which occurs when the stalk of the plant actually breaks off.
"This was not in all of the fields, but some areas," said ISU Extension agronomist Gentry Sorensen, whose nine-county territory includes Clay County. "The path of the storm was large and there were varying degrees of damage"
Sorensen said there were very few, if any, reports of damaged soybeans following the derecho. He expected the storm would impact yields, but to what extent remains to be seen.
"Yields could be reduced 2-6 percent at the growth stage of V10 to V12, which was approximately the stage when the derecho hit northwest Iowa," Sorensen explained. "There are variables in a storm depending upon the damage and how widespread it is, and every field is a little different. There may only be limited damage because corn did upright itself quickly."
• Iowa Crop Report
The latest crop update report released on Monday by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service indicated Iowa's corn crop is running slightly behind schedule.
Corn silking or beyond was 66 percent, four days behind last year and three days behind the five-year average. Eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage, five days behind last year and two days behind average. Corn condition rating was 80 percent good-to-excellent.
Seventy-two percent of soybeans were blooming, one week behind last year and two days behind average. Thirty-two percent of the soybean crop was setting pods, five days behind last year and one day behind the five-year average. Iowa's soybean condition rating was 75 percent good-to-excellent.
Eighty-two percent of oats was turning color or beyond, one week behind last year. Oats harvested for grain reached 38 percent, two days behind last year. Iowa's oat condition was 78 percent good-to-excellent.
Seventy-seven percent of the state's second cutting of alfalfa hay was complete, with the third cutting under way at 3 percent. All hay condition rated 66 percent good-to-excellent. Pasture condition rated 50 percent good-to-excellent. Some producers already had to begin supplementing with hay.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 12 percent very short, 26 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 11 percent very short, 25 percent short, 63 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.
