News

Ohio corn harvest impacted by summer drought

Drought conditions this past summer have taken a toll on Ohio corn. About 46-percent of the state experienced “moderate drought” with another 15-percent in “severe drought”.

Peter Thomison, a corn agronomist at Ohio State University, says farmers are discovering how much their fields have been affected.

“One of our Ag educators was telling us in one area of his county the growers had one inch of rain in June and July. In those types of conditions were very favorable for some ear abnormalities and problems we often associate with stress conditions,” says Thomison.

Thomison tells Brownfield understanding which varieties respond better to dry conditions, as well as better management practices, can help mitigate losses during dry weather.

But, he says, if a farmer determines a certain practice or variety should be removed from their future plans based on performance THIS year, they might be making a mistake.

“Just the fact that it didn’t work well this year doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work in the future. Nevertheless, if you have a particular hybrid or practice that’s not performing to your satisfaction in your field and you notice in other trials it’s also not working it’s something you want to take a look at. You want to try and rely on as much data as possible.” says Thomison.

Thomison says getting performance information from a wide variety of farms and locations can help farmers choose varieties that can stand up to adverse conditions.

Audio: Peter Thomison, Corn Agronomist, Ohio State University