Reports are for crop conditions up to September 4, 2019
Western Maryland
Corn silage harvest has begun. Corn is drying down; be sure to keep an eye on the moisture. Soybeans have not yet begun to dry down; most are still filling pods. Total rainfall over the past month has been approximately 2-4 inches across the county, with most of that coming in a few thunderstorms. Temperatures have dropped into the upper 70s and lower 80s; this will continue into the next couple of weeks. —Kelly Nichols
Northern Maryland
August has been hot and dry for most of Northern MD; although several isolated storms did bring some rain to many parts of the region; however, very spotty. The weather has been nice for making hay and silage. The lack of moisture in some areas has likely taken some of our top-end yields—but still, crops look good and a big corn harvest is anticipated for much of the region; which should be in full swing in about two weeks. Full season soybeans look good and are starting to turn; some of the latest planted double-crop beans have struggled to put on much growth during this hot, dry spell. —Andy Kness
Upper & Mid Eastern Shore
Corn harvest is in full swing. Yields are not at record levels, but very good overall and well above 10 year average – the lines at the granaries are forming. Early full season beans will be ready soon and look good. The later full season beans suffered from drought in some areas. Double crop beans greatly needed the recent rains. I am optimistic that bean yields will be very good this year. I am not sure the aerial applicators have slept much in the past month. They went from spraying podworms to spreading cover crop seed from day break to dark. Hay quality has been excellent and recent rains are helping fall growth. Palmer Amaranth has really showed up above beans in the past couple weeks. Many fields that were assumed clean, still have a plant here and there. The dicamba beans are really helping to control Palmer and has proven to be a good tool. However, precautions need to be taken to prevent off site movement. —Jim Lewis
Lower Eastern Shore
Most corn is approaching maturity at dent to black layer stages. In the fields that are mature, many farmers have stopped shelling due to high moisture content, and very little corn has been harvested to-date. Yield reports range from good to poor to bad, depending on location and the amount of rain received. Soybean crops are on average R6 stage. Some short season soybean fields are starting to dry down. There have been several reports of nematode damage in soybean fields. The hot, humid weather has led to reports of increased disease pressure in vegetable crops. Herbicide resistant ragweed, marestail, and Palmer Amaranth are problematic in the region, and care should be taken to thoroughly clean equipment during harvest to avoid contamination of other fields. Cover crops have been aerial seeded on many fields. —Sarah Hirsh
Southern Maryland
Dry conditions have continued for most of the region. Corn harvest began two weeks ago and is well underway with an early maturing crop. Yields are variable, with most farms reporting a decent crop overall. Soybeans have suffered over the last month due to limited rainfall. We are finding podworms in many fields throughout the area well above threshold levels. If you haven’t already scouted fields for worm activity, I encourage you to do so soon. As was the case last year, Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is now evident, with patches showing up mainly in full season beans. With the drier weather, Palmer Amaranth and common ragweed are readily evident. Cool season grasses are dormant now with very limited regrowth. —Ben Beale
