Pennsylvania’s corn condition may be a silver lining of summer wildfires

14 October 2023

Published by: https://www.agriculture.com

USA – Smoke from the Canadian wildfires might have actually helped Pennsylvania’s crop retain moisture, says Richard Cole.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires this summer might have actually helped Pennsylvania’s corn crop retain moisture, leaving 83% of the state’s corn crop in good/excellent condition as of the latest Crop Progress report. For the fourth straight week, Pennsylvania has the best corn in the country.

While Pennsylvania’s corn crop is the best in the nation, statewide yields are anticipated to be average in the state.

Pennsylvania corn progress and condition

USDA rated Pennsylvania corn 0% very poor, 0% poor, 17% fair, 62% good, and 21% excellent the week ending Oct. 8, a slight increase from the previous week.

Pennsylvania’s corn crop progress continues to be behind the five-year average with 56% of the crop matured. The five-year average for this time of year is 77%. This is also behind last year at this time by 12%.

Corn harvested for silage is up 10% from last week, at 83%. Corn harvested for grain reached 12%, behind the five-year average of 19%, but ahead of last year’s 8%.

Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association shares thoughts on 2023 corn crop 

Richard Cole, executive director at the Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association, says that corn development in Pennsylvania was slowed down by two weeks or more this year due to smoke from Canadian wildfires in June.

Cole says, while the smoke slowed corn’s maturity, there was a silver lining. The smoke helped to keep moisture in the ground, “because we didn’t have the baking heat.”

The growing season got off to a discouraging start, Cole says, when four to five weeks of dry weather made many farmers think that they wouldn’t have a corn crop at all. After the dry spell, though, Cole says consistent rains helped the state’s corn bounce back.

“It’s yet to be seen if we’re going to have record crops or not,” Cole says. He admits, though, that if Pennsylvania has the best corn condition in the nation, it means that other states are really suffering through the drought. He says, the 2023 crop isn’t that different of a crop than Pennsylvania has had in the past.

Recent Pennsylvania weather

A weather summary compiled by the National Ag Statistics Service says temperatures averaged just over 63° F, over 7° F above average for the week ending Oct. 8.

In the same time period, precipitation was 0.24 inches below normal.

Maps generated by the Iowa Environmental Mesonet indicate precipitation departures as high as 15 inches above average over the past six months.

The most recent Crop Progress report rated Pennsylvania topsoil moisture 0% very short, 12% short, 82% adequate, and 6% surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 0% very short, 16% short, 82% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Latest Pennsylvania drought conditions

A drought map published Oct. 12 shows that less than 1% of the state is in D1 moderate drought.

More than 28% of Pennsylvania is abnormally dry.

Over 71% of the state’s acres are drought free, a dramatic change from three months ago when just 21% of the state was experiencing no drought stress.

Of the state’s 67 counties, none have USDA disaster designations.

A look at Pennsylvania history

The National Integrated Drought Information System reports August 2023 was the 28th-wettest August on record for the state. Records go back to 1895.

So far, 2023 is shaping up to be the 65th-wettest year in history for the Keystone state.

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