It’s Friday morning, and the sun is brightly shining again.  The temperature is expected to get to near 90.

We could use a good rain.

The planters are quiet today.  No further replanting is needed, unless another unexpected event occurs: flooding, hail, or other localized event.  The corn crop has experienced a kind of ‘perfect storm’ this spring.  Many factors converged.  Cold weather, dry weather, preplant nitrogen  nitrification process hampered by the dry weather, and now very warm weather.  Most corn fields, right now, do not pass the “I’m really pleased by the appearance as I drive by in the pickup” test.  I have even seen some small patches of corn ‘rolling up’ in stress from lack of moisture– a rare sight in May.  Greg Anthis, our fertilizer and herbicide consultant from CPS Wheatland says he has sent out more corn seed for replanting this year than ever before.

It has been challenging for the corn crop, but the soybeans are, for the most part, looking very nice.  I have only had to replant about 50 acres of soybeans, and that was mostly from a too-heavy rain a couple Fridays ago.  The replanted corn is up and looking pretty good, it’s just a few weeks behind the early-planted fields.  It was replanted at an early-enough date so that the yield potential is still good.  The old rule of thumb on planting dates for corn:  For every day after May 10 that planting is delayed, you lose about 1 bushel per acre of yield potential.  There are exceptions, of course, because the subsequent weather is the greatest factor.  Corn in 2011 was a good example, for all the 2011 corn was planted after May 10, some even planted in early June… and the yield results were pretty good…  I think all this goes to reassure us that our Maker is in charge, and He has reminded us in many ways that He can bring blessing out of adversity.

I have a long list of tasks to accomplish today, so I had better get going on it!  Have a great weekend.