July drought and soybean prospects click image to zoomA July 17
photo of soybeans in 30-inch rows planted on April 19 at Perry,
Illinois. Rainfall since June 1 has totaled less than 1 inch,
resulting in plants with a narrow canopy. With drought
continuing to worsen through mid-July and no real relief in
sight, crop ratings continue to decline, with only 11% of corn
and 17% of soybean crops in Illinois rated as good or excellent
on July 15. Corn crop prospects continue to decline with loss of
leaf area and poor or failed pollination. Leaf color and area
continue to decline, accompanied by a decline in yield
potential. While we remain more optimistic about soybean
prospects than about corn, soybean yield potential is beginning
to decline as time goes on without enough water to keep plants
functioning well. Soybean plants in dry areas are short, and
size of leaves and petioles has been reduced as well, both
consequences of the ongoing lack of available water to expand
cells. The result has been plants with a nar