Staff writer
Farmers are wondering whether soybeans are past the point of no return.
And, barring a miracle to change a forecast of hot, dry weather for the next week or so, this year’s harvest is likely to be a disappointment.
Cooperative Grain and Supply agronomist Jeff Naysmith said full-season beans don’t look good.
Some of their leaves are falling, and pods are not filling. Any beans that are in pods now will shrink if hot, dry weather continues, he said.
Beans that were planted as a second crop after wheat, a practice called double-crop, still have a chance to grow and develop with rain, he said.
“If we could get rain, they would really go gang-busters,” he said.
Soybeans are a unique crop, he said: “You don’t know what they will do.”
Corn harvest is underway. The crop looked to be reasonably good, with averages of 80 to 110 bushels per acre, Naysmith said.
“It’ll be decent,” he said, “but it could have been better with a little more rain a month ago.”