Weekly Ag Update By ned birkey msu EXTENSION EDUCATOR EMERITUS SPARTAN AG The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s outlook to Aug. 4 called for likely above normal temperatures and likely below normal precipitation. The three-month outlook for October through December is leaning above normal temperature and near normal precipitation. The meteorological winter outlook for December 2026 through February 2027 is for warmer than normal temperatures and near normal to drier than normal precipitation. The past month ranked the 4th hottest out of 134 years for most of our climate district, yet the U.S. Drought Monitor does not show any drought in our area of the Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois) as of July 14. Likewise, the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook for July 16 through October 31, 2026, does not show a tendency for drought. Corn’s response to weather stressors includes heat, drought and hazy conditions according to Ohio State’s Alex Lindsey, Laura Lindsey and Osler Ortez. Haze is a matter of light diffusion, recently due to wildfire smoke. Reports have shown a reduced light intensity of 15 percent did not affect corn yield. One estimate from Nebraska suggested a 46 percent decrease in light intensity for seven days in mid to late August reduced corn yields by about 5 percent. Eric Snodgrass, of Nutrien Ag Solutions, said smoke from wildfires in Oregon and western Canada will continue into our area of the upper Midwest, although it will be less intense than the recent haze from the wildfires of northern Ontario. Soybean cyst nematode is the number one yield reducing pathogen of soybeans. Above ground symptoms may not show up in highly productive soils until fall harvest with stagnating or declining yields. In lighter, sandier soils, soybean plants may be stunted, yellow and lack vigor. Although visual symptoms can be confused with mites or diseases, carefully dig up some soybean roots in the affected area, gently knock off the soil and allow the roots to air dry for a minute. Although a 10x hand lens may be needed to identify lemon-shaped cysts, it is possible to see them with the naked eye, keeping in mind they will be much smaller than nodules. The MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, the OSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic or private labs such as A&L Great Lakes Lab in Fort Wayne, Ind., or Midwest Laboratories in Omaha, Neb., are some nematology labs available to farmers. Crickets can act as an outdoor thermometer by their chirping. Simply count the number or chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40 to get the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (F). Crickets are cold-blooded and take on the temperature of their surroundings. Chirping is a cricket’s way of communicating. Male crickets use chirping to attract females, scare off other males, or warn of danger. Contrary to popular belief, crickets do not use their legs to chirp but produce the iconic sound by rubbing the edges of their wings together. |
