Lack of rain an issue (unless you’re in Iowa)

“Every year has its own personality,” Corey Hanson remarked on July 13. In an effort to coax some rainfall, he started his second cutting of hay on July 10. “I did my best,” he said with a laugh, reporting sporadic and minimal rains.

The corn is just starting to tassel. Hanson said the beans are trying to flower amidst the lack of moisture and he has noticed leaves tipping upside down by 10 a.m. Previously he applied fungicide on a few fields of beans that have had white mold in the past. He’ll be proactively scouting the fields as he stated, “It’s always harder to battle from behind.” While he hasn’t seen any concerns yet, he noted the Crookston area, about 35 miles from Gary, has experienced some insect pressure. He anticipates more insect issues than leaf disease due to the dry weather.