Seventh state in a 12-state tour
By Andrea Gal
Managing Editor, Integrated Media
Farms.com
The Farms.com Risk Management team toured South Dakota on Day 8 of the fifth annual U.S. Corn Belt Crop Tour.
Moe Agostino, Farms.com Risk Management chief commodity strategist, explained that South Dakota 2016 corn and soybean acres are both up slightly from last year.
In terms of crop conditions, “we are starting to see some cracks in the soil” said Agostino. He noted the situation is not as bad as in 2012, when “you could drop a pen and it would go down into the soil.”
As was the case with Nebraska, South Dakota experienced a wet spring – followed by a dry June.
Lester Voegili of Beresford, South Dakota, for example, is “usually done (planting corn) by the first of May.” But this year he “didn’t get started until (May) 8 or 9” because of excess moisture.
June, in contrast, was “a problem month.” Voegili only received a little over an inch of rain in June.
“We are going to need some rain here soon,” stressed Agostino when reviewing conditions near Groton, South Dakota.
In terms of staging, about half of the corn will pollinate in the next two weeks. The other half is expected to pollinate between July 10 and 20.
Agostino ranked “South Dakota as an average crop,” with a score of 6 or 6.5 out of 10.
Be sure to check back daily as more videos from the tour are posted. The next stop on the tour is North Dakota.
Use the hashtag #cornbelt16 to follow the tour on social media.