Heat-Stress and Lack of Moisture on Corn and Soybeans in SWNY
Joshua Putman, Field Crops and Forage Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program
Last week, SWNY was experiencing severe heat as well as symptoms of drought stress and seen in many crops. Corn leaves were rolling, soybean leaves were flipped, leaf tissue was turning grey, and there was no sight of rain. Luckily, much of SWNY received 0.5-2.0 inches of rain over the weekend. However, the period of time that the heat and moisture stress occurred may have affected our overall yields. Drought stress during vegetative stages results in reduced stem and leaf cell expansion (shorter plants with less leaf area). When drought stress is combined with heat stress, vegetative development will progress more rapidly. Any stress that occurs during the sixth to eighth leaf stage (V6-V8) can result in fewer kernel rows, whereas stress from eighth leaf to seventeenth leaf stage (V8-V17) can result in fewer kernels per row. Field Crop Specialist, Josh Putman, is seeing tasseled corn fields at heights of only 4.5-5ft throughout SWNY. Contact Josh if you have questions about your crops. For more information about the influence of drought on crops, check out this document by Iowa State University.
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Upcoming Events
Organic Cover Crop & Soil Health Field Day
September 11, 2025
Fillmore, NY
Please join us for a morning of hands-on learning with expert insights from local farmers, industry representatives, and extension. We will have some demonstration plots in action along with discussion about how cover crops influence soils and demonstration showing impacts on farm resiliency. Free lunch provided following field walk.
Organic Cover Crop & Soil Health Field Day
September 11, 2025
Fillmore, NY
Please join us for a morning of hands-on learning with expert insights from local farmers, industry representatives, and extension. We will have some demonstration plots in action along with discussion about how cover crops influence soils and demonstration showing impacts on farm resiliency. Free lunch provided following field walk.
Driving Efficiency in Dairy & Exploring the Irish Experience
September 29, 2025
Rock Stream, NY
This workshop series will feature in-depth presentation and discussion led by Dr. Padraig French who is the Head of Livestock Systems and the Dairy Enterprise Leader at Teagasc (the Irish version of USDA). Dr. French will focus on the critical success factors for Irish dairy, which include pasture utilization, labor efficiency and managing for seasonal calving. The discussion will focus on ways that U.S. dairy farmers can use some of the Irish dairy techniques to become more profitable with grass farming.
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