News

SW Missouri farmer says crops take turn for the worse

A southwest Missouri farmer who described his crops in “garden conditions” at the end of May now tells Brownfield things have taken a turn for the worse, “The last time we talked, I was telling you things couldn’t be much better than they looked here and, we really haven’t had any meaningful rain since that time.” Kyle Kirby says his corn and soybeans are hurting from drought and heat stress, “The hot weather has just been relentless. It won’t let us have a break.” Corn ears are one-third to half filled and he’ll soon be chopping for silage which his neighbors have already begun. Kirby is president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association. Missouri’s drought conditions are worsening in northwest, central and southwestern Missouri.

Across the state, in southeast Missouri, farmer Jim Stuever says his corn has progressed quickly and he’s looking at an early August harvest at this rate. His corn had not dented as of Wednesday but was getting close, “I happened to check an ear and it’s not trying to dent yet but there is corn that’s a little further along than that and probably some that are a little shorter season that would probably getting pretty close. If not, we’re not but a few days away from starting.”

Most of his crops, like most in southeast Missouri are irrigated but it’s been very hot, “Some dryland fields are starting to show stress but most of them were able to get tasseled and shoot an ear so if they can get that far they’re going to do better than they would if they would have been stressed before that.” Stuever tells Brownfield cotton is looking really good.

AUDIO: Interview with Kyle Kirby, Friday, July 13, 2018~

AUDIO: Interview with Jim Stuever, Wed., July 11, 2018 ~