Reports are for crop conditions up to July 6, 2023.
Western Maryland
Rain has been hit or miss here but crops are still looking good considering the erratic precipitation patterns of late. Barley harvest is complete and wheat harvest is in full swing. Disease was low but test weights and yields are still being accessed. Hay yields continue to suffer but hopefully El Nino will kick in and we will get more much needed precipitation.—Jeff Semler, Washington Co.
Central Maryland
Frederick County has received notable rainfall in the last few weeks that has prevented potentially drastic crop condition reductions following the spell of hot and dry weather in May and June. Early corn is approaching the later stages of vegetative development, while most of the crop remains in the V8-9 stages. Soybeans are generally in notable shape, even with the early season drought. Scouted fields remain generally low in typical pests though Japanese Beetles have emerged and are maintaining a watchful eye. Soybean aphids were observed in two fields, however with more recent rains and populations well below IPM threshold values, they may remain an afterthought. Wheat harvest has progressed well with field average yields reported in the 80-110 bu/ac range. Crop moisture however has remained a touch higher than desirable. Additionally, maintain a watchful eye over earlier fields that have dried recently and have received rains–reports of low falling-numbers from local mills indicate the presence of sprouted wheat. Barley yields were outstanding as some growers noted personal bests in the 150-170 bu/ac range.—Mark Townsend, Frederick Co.
Northern Maryland
For the better part of 6 weeks, most of the region received very, very little rainfall; however, that has changed in the past two weeks where we have had multiple storms, bringing anywhere from an half inch to several inches of rain per storm. This rain was much-needed for the corn and soybean crop, as well as hay and pasture. Barley harvest wrapped up prior to the rains with very strong yields. Since wheat has matured it has been difficult to find enough dry weather to cut it. So far, wheat yields are very good with no DON but unfortunately test weights and falling numbers are declining in some areas. Earliest planted corn is in tassel, although most of it is only about 5-6’ tall. The dry April, May, and the bulk of June, coupled with relatively mild temperatures and low light intensity from the Canada wildfires, has resulted in some of the shortest corn in memory. Moisture is present as we go into tassel and silking, so hopefully we get decent pollination. Soybeans are also growing slowly but are rebounding; some early maturities are starting to flower. Regrowth on hay is very slow.—Andy Kness, Harford Co.
Upper and Mid Shore
Barley harvest finished during drought conditions with record yields. Wheat harvest has been underway for 2 weeks in between storms/ humidity/wildfire smoke. Test weight was above 60 lbs per bushel to start with, but as expected, has lowered after the stretch of rainy weather. Like barley, yields have been record breaking. While wheat harvest has been underway for 2 weeks, it’s only half complete. Even with 2 weeks of rainy weather, there are areas in the region that is still relatively dry. The storms have been spotty. Some areas have had 6 rain events with a grand total of less than an inch while other areas are over 5”. Corn and full season beans look much better, but will need significant additional rain for decent yields. With beans blooming and corn tasseling, farmers are concerned about poor light quality resulting from the smoke filled atmosphere from wildfires up north. This is a new phenomenon for our region with very little research data available. Let’s hope for west winds with blue sky!—Jim Lewis, Caroline Co.
Lower Shore
Wheat harvest is underway. Corn maturity is varied. Early planted corn is tasseling. Corn that was planted late is still in early vegetative stages. Double-crop soybean is being planted. Full season soybean is 6-12” tall on average, in vegetative stage. There were scattered rain storms over the past couple of weeks, with some areas receiving significantly more rain than others. Non-irrigated crops in areas that had limited rain are showing signs of water stress, particularly in sandier soils. Herbicide-resistant ragweed and marestail are apparent in fields across the region.—Sarah Hirsh, Somerset Co.
Southern Maryland
We have seen dry and we’ve seen wet this month. Most areas of the region received decent rains in the last two weeks. Crops responded well. Corn is now tasseling with moisture just in time for pollination. Our corn crop is much shorter in stature than normal, but the crop overall looks good. Soybeans follow much of the same story. Early planted beans have canopied. The barley crop is now off. The wheat harvest season has been challenging, with limited harvest windows. Good news is the wheat crop has been excellent in terms of both yield and quality. Double crop beans are going in as soon as the wheat comes off. Vegetable crops are just beginning to come off. Heavy rains have hampered quality of some vegetable crops.—Ben Beale, St. Mary’s Co.
*Regions (counties):
Western: Garrett, Allegany, Washington. Central: Frederick, Montgomery, Howard. Northern: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll. Upper & Mid Shore: Cecil, Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne, Talbot. Lower Shore: Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico. Southern: St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s
