Dryer-than-usual conditions continue to strain Wisconsin farmland, with over 40% of cropland facing moisture shortages. Still, recent rains brought a late-summer lifeline to some corn and soybean fields.
The USDA reports widespread dry crop conditions across Wisconsin, with the northwestern region suffering the worst impacts. Topsoil moisture remains adequate on only 58% of state farmland, while 27% faces short moisture and 14% is very short.
Just-In-Time Rain For Some
July brought heavy dry spells, but conditions are improving for Kevin Klahn near Brooklyn, Wisconsin.
“I think since we’ve gotten some rain, things have turned around a lot,” Klahn said. “We’ve got corn that was hurt pretty bad on our shallow ground and our knolls, but the stuff that was able to hang in there and handle the stress has turned around and is looking pretty good. There’s a few pollination problems and a little tipback on certain varieties. The soybean crop seemed to hang in there during our six weeks of dry spell and are really looking good, and conditions have been really good for soybeans.”
Klahn credits a mix of timely rain and modern crop genetics for saving the season.
“If this was fifteen years ago, even with genetics of the day, we’d be looking at a crop disaster,” he noted. “It’s amazing how the genetics have improved, but also I think we were right at that last few hours where if we didn’t get rain in the next twenty-four hours, we would have been hurting much, much worse.”
Corn, Soybeans, and Hay
Across the state, 70% of corn has reached the dough stage and 19% has dented. The USDA rates 65% of Wisconsin’s corn in good to excellent condition—down two points from last week.
For soybeans, 91% of fields are setting pods, with 63% rated good to excellent.
Farmers have harvested 83% of Wisconsin’s oats into the bin. Third-cutting alfalfa hay reaches 92% completion, and some growers are already starting a fourth cutting.
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