Reports are for crop conditions up to October 3, 2019
Western Maryland
It has been dry this past month, and crops are rapidly drying down. Corn silage harvest is finished, corn grain and soybean harvesting is under way, and cover crops are going in the ground. We finally received a little bit of some much needed rain on Monday. The total average precipitation over the last month for the county is 0.5-1.0 inches. Current forecasts from WDVM and the Weather Channel have a few days with a chance of rain going into next week.—Kelly Nichols
Northern Maryland
It has been abnormally dry in northern MD. There have been a few scattered storms, but in general, much of the region has only received about 2-3 inches of rain since the end of July. The dry weather has resulted in what is likely one of the most efficient harvests ever. More than half of the corn crop is harvested and soybean harvest is well underway. Corn yields have ranged from above average to phenomenal. Early soybeans are yielding decent, too; however, late planted full season and double-crop soybeans were severely affected by the lack of rainfall and yields will reflect. Good hay has been made, although with reduced yields. The soil is dust and what few acres of cover crops have been planted are struggling to germinate and emerge. The majority of small grain planting will be held off until we get some much needed moisture.—Andy Kness
Upper & Mid Eastern Shore
The region is drier than I have seen in a couple decades. The water table is down, ditches are dry, ponds are low, fields are dusty, fall seeded crops are struggling with low soil moisture, cover crops have little to no growth, some corn was harvested with moisture as low as 13%, soybeans with moisture as low as 8%, and fish have ticks! Corn harvest is about 3/4 complete with good to excellent yields. Soybean harvest is just getting started with early yields looking good, but later beans in the southern part of the region have reduced seed size and yields are going to suffer. While it has been easy to make good quality hay, yields have been reduced with dry weather. Many farmers are delaying small grain planting and waiting for soil moisture to improve.—Jim Lewis
Lower Eastern Shore
Corn and soybean have dried down quickly with the hot, dry weather. Corn is approximately 60% harvested. Yield reports have been average. Soybeans are just now starting to be harvested. There are many fields with herbicide-resistant common ragweed, marestail or Palmer amaranth that have gone to seed, so remember to take care to thoroughly clean equipment between harvesting fields to minimize seed spread. Many fields have been aerially seeded with cover crops, and ground-applied cover crops have started to be planted. Rain is badly needed in the region, especially for cover crops to come up where aerially or broadcast seeded.—Sarah Hirsh
Southern Maryland
The region has not received any appreciable rainfall since the last report. Corn harvest is nearly complete and soybean harvest well underway. Soybean yields are variable across fields, with most yields below average due to limited moisture during pod fill. We are well ahead of normal harvest schedule this year. Most farmers are waiting for moisture to begin small grain planting. Cover crops have been planted but have not yet emerged. Fall tillage, soil testing and other field operations are also being delayed due to dry soils. Cool season grasses are still dormant and final hay harvest is limited.—Ben Beale
