Dry weather cutting into corn yields on Mid-Atlantic

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This, from the Maryland-Delaware Ag Statistics Service, comes as no surprise to farmers in the Mid-Atlantic: Due to dry weather, farmers are expecting lower yields.
Weather conditions in the Mid-Atlantic this summer are similar to those of 2007, when drought brought yields to unexpected lows, the service said.
Some farmers are commenting that corn planted for grain will now be cut for silage.
Soybean yields have decreased but there is still hope for higher yields if enough rain is received.
Apple producers are also being impacted by the drought, and are reporting lower expected yields.
Here is a statistical breakdown from the NASA regional office in Annapolis.
Maryland: Maryland farmers project a yield of 100 bushels per acre for the 2010 corn crop, down 45 bushels per acre from last year and the lowest yield since 2002 when the yield was 74 bushels per acre.
If realized, this will result in total production of 43 million bushels of corn on the 430,000 acres expected to be harvested for grain.
Farmers also expect to harvest 490,000 acres of soybeans at an average yield of 30 bushels per acre.
While the current forecast is 12 bushels below last year’s average yield of 42 bushels per acre, it is still above the 2007 drought yield of 27.5.
If realized, a total of 14.7 million bushels of soybeans are expected to be produced in Maryland in 2010.
Although dry conditions set in during the end of the small grain harvest, production was still hurt by the hot weather. Final estimates for Maryland small grain production will be released on Sept. 30.
Delaware: Delaware farmers report that they expect corn fields to produce an average 115 bushels per acre in 2010, down 30 bushels per acre from last year, but above the 2007 low of 99 bushels per acre.
With 160,000 acres expected to be harvested, total corn production is estimated at 18.4 million bushels.
Soybeans are expected to yield 31 bushels per acre, down 11 bushels per acre from 2009, but well above the 2007 low of 26 bushels per acre.
Soybeans are expected to be harvested from 188,000 acres, for a total production of 5.8 million bushels. Final estimates for Delaware small grain production  also will be released on Sept. 30.