Hot and dry weather across the midwest this summer has resulted in premature corn death
In some areas, specifically in western and central Iowa and central Illinois.
Mike Toohill, an agronomist with Diversified Crop Insurance Services, says that there are various contributing factors, beyond just the obvious lack of rain accompanied by hot temperatures and dry winds. According to him, intense rains that did fall in Illinois in July contributed to unusual hardening of the soil during the dry spell that set in immediately afterwards, resulting in shallow root depth. Earworms have also been a problem in some areas.
Toohill adds that harvest will reveal both a decline in yield and in quality throughout the affected areas.