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Weather front could be crop’s salvation
By JOHN FRIEDLEIN
Thursday, July 19, 2007 9:24 PM CDT
HARDIN COUNTY — After a bone-dry start, the local corn crop has rebounded somewhat thanks to rainfall during the past few weeks.
Any additional precipitation overnight or this morning will prove especially helpful, because many of the plants are at a stage where moisture facilitates pollination and ear development.
Because this is such a crucial time, farmer Ray Allan Mackey said if his crops don’t receive rain in the next couple of weeks, anything after that won’t help much. His 1,600 acres stretch from Glendale to LaRue County. As with other local corn crops, most of his will go toward livestock feed.
Corn prices have spiked roughly 60 percent over the last few years, in large part because of a demand for ethanol. Despite corn’s apparent profitability, inputs — such as petroleum-based fertilizer — also have increased.
A drought-reduced yield would eat further into the profit margin.
“I’m not looking for a good crop,” said local farmer Richard Preston. “But it’s not going to be the disaster I thought it would be.”
In fact, it was shaping up to be his worst crop since 1983.
A good soaking in late June helped.
Since he sowed at different times and throughout the county, the robustness of his plants varies. An early crop planted near White Mills, for instance, didn’t receive rain when it really needed it.
Preston said he’s seen fields suffering from pollination problems.
Besides needing rain during its reproductive stage, corn also develops better when it’s cooler than 90 degrees, said Tom Priddy, a University of Kentucky agricultural meteorologist. Temperatures have climbed higher than that lately.
“It’s been a very difficult growing season for our farmers,” Priddy said.
Spotty thunderstorms, though, have left the central part of the state in better shape than the rest of Kentucky, he said.
Stephensburg farmer Kerby Grey reported healthy rainfall totals since late June, including 3.5 inches over two days.
His corn is “looking a whole lot better now,” he said.
John Friedlein can be reached at 769-1200, Ext. 237, or at jfriedlein@thenewsenterprise.com.
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