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Agronomist says root development for crops in Western Nebraska are top concern

A Nebraska-based agronomist says crops in the western area of the state are in desperate need of moisture.

Luke Curl with Golden Harvest says if Mother Nature doesn’t provide relief within two weeks, “Even shorter than that in some areas, the dryland corn is pretty much going to be gone. There are a few dryland soybeans around the area and we’re seeing the same thing there.”

Curl says erosion caused by drought has created unique issues for farmers trying to irrigate.

As an example, he says, parts of buildings that were torn down several decades ago have reappeared and pivots have been unable to water crops. “There’s so many different things of old history that are showing up in the fields where there were people out in the country and now it’s showing up where they’re farming.”

He tells Brownfield his biggest concern is root development for corn. “The brace roots on the dryland corn is going to struggle getting into the soil. We’re going to start to see some stand issues.  Throw that with the drought, this year is starting to set up another high year of corn rootworm and western been cutworm.  It’s going to be a full year of problems.”

Curl says many farmers have been unable to manage corn rootworm.