Reports are for crop conditions up until 8/5/2021.
Western Maryland
We had a great wheat harvest and many optimists planted double-crop beans. It has been very dry in most of the county. Depending on where in the county you are located is the difference between chopping corn now and admiring your crop. Hay will be in short supply so many will plant forage oats for fall forage. Full season beans are looking good most places. We will continue to pray for rain. —Jeff Semler, Washington Co.
Central Maryland
In general, Central Maryland has had a good combination of heat and rain, and the crops are looking great. Most of the region is close to or above the normal rainfall over the last 30 days. Fall armyworm and western bean cutworm traps near Poolesville have been empty this past month. Corn silage harvest will begin soon, especially if August turns up the heat.—Kelly Nichols, Montgomery Co.
Northern Maryland
We’ve been fortunate to have excellent pollination conditions over the past 3 weeks when the vast majority of the corn crop was pollinating. Temperatures were in the upper 80s and occasionally low 90s with frequent storms that brought timely moisture. The majority of the corn crop is looking above average. Full season soybeans are beginning to set pots and look good; some fields had very spotty emergence due to slug damage early; we will see what August brings in terms of rain to help make the bean crop. Double crops had good soil moisture to germinate and are off to a decent start. Insect and disease pest pressure in both corn and beans has been minimal so far. Small grain harvest wrapped up a couple of weeks ago with big wheat yields.—Andy Kness, Harford Co.
Upper Eastern Shore
Soil moisture levels are all over the board. Some areas have been receiving rains while others have not. None of the region is too wet. Therefore, corn and early bean yield predictions also vary, but not disastrous. Corn will be 100-250 bu/acre plus. Early beans will be 40-80 bu/acre plus. Later maturing beans still have a long ways to go. Corn leaf diseases have been expanding/moving up the plant in the last few weeks. Soybean diseases have been minimal, but foliage feeding insects are increasing. Luckily most of the beans have plenty of foliage and can withstand some feeding. Trouble weeds, especially the glyphosate resistant weeds are starting to outgrow beans and showing their ugly heads(growing points). As with past months, there has been good quality hay harvested.—Jim Lewis, Caroline Co.
Lower Eastern Shore
Weather has been favorable and grain crops are looking good. Corn is around R3 reproductive stage. Full-season soybean is flowering. Deer are regularly observed grazing in soybean fields. Corn Earworm numbers are currently low. Herbicide-resistant weeds such as ragweed, marestail and Palmer amaranth are present and posing management challenges.—Sarah Hirsh, Somerset Co.
Southern Maryland
The story this month is squarely focused on moisture. Temperatures across the region are reaching into the 90’s with sporadic isolated storms hitting here and there. Crops are now showing moisture stress. The corn crop is past pollination and approaching dough stage on earliest plantings. We could really use another rain to help fill corn out, but it’s looking to be at least an average crop. Soybeans are setting pods, with full season beans at R3-R5. We have not seen many pest outbreaks in beans yet. We are on the lookout for spider mites with the hot dry conditions. Cool season grasses are going dormant in the hot dry weather.—Ben Beale, St. Mary’s Co.
