“We have a full fledged drought.” That summarizes the weather report from Pat Guinan, University of Missouri Extension climatologist. He sees no immediate relief in the forecast.

“The corn is about shot,” says Bill Wiebold, MU Extension agronomist, of his research plots at the MU Bradford Farm, Columbia. “Even normal rainfall, if it came now, would not be enough.”
Corn must have moisture during the time when tassels release pollen and the ears put out silks. Pollen landing on silks sets corn kernels on the cob.

The soybean fields, although short, can still make a crop if rains come before the beans stop blooming, Wiebold says. Soybean plants keep resetting blossoms three or four times trying to set pods, if pollination does not occur the first time.

“Corn yields have been hurt considerably,” Wiebold says. “Yield losses can run 30 to 40 percent, even if we get rain in August. We can make a soybean crop, if the rains come.”

Guinan is not optimistic about the outlook for rain for at least another week. A high-pressure dome over the state will bring triple-digit temperatures to Missouri and block rains forecast for Iowa and northern Illinois. “We may catch a corner of that rain in extreme northeast Missouri,” he added.

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