The old saying “rain makes grain” may hold true in many instances, but excessive rainfall early in this growing season has caused extensive crop loss in some areas. Large portions of southwest and south-central Minnesota, along with adjoining areas of northern Iowa, and eastern South Dakota, have been impacted by severe storms and excessive rainfall during the last half of June. There are considerable drown-out areas in fields, as well as crop damage to the remaining crop in many fields. As of June 29, many southern Minnesota rivers were above flood stage, closing roads and flooding farm fields. Most of the affected region received 150 to 200 percent, or more, of the normal rainfall for June, with most of it coming in the latter part of the month. Some locations received 10 to 15 inches of rain, nearly doubling what they had received since Jan. 1. In some areas of extreme southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, farm operators had not completed their corn and soybean planting before the heavy rain began. A major concern now is the loss or lack of available nitrogen for the growing corn. Much of the nitrogen fertilizer for corn was applied last fall or early this spring. Soil nitrogen losses increase substantially during heavy rainfalls. Many corn plants have developed very shallow root systems, which have not been able to access the nitrogen that is deeper in the soil. In some cases, farmers planned to side dress the nitrogen after planting, but have been unable to do so because of the continually saturated field conditions. Some growers may need to consider supplemental nitrogen applications to maintain normal crop development. Another concern is timely herbicide applications for weed control. Producers who were relying on post-emergence herbicides for weed control have had difficulty getting these products applied in a timely fashion, which is resulting in strong weed pressure in some fields. We have already passed the time window for dicamba herbicide in soybeans, as well as for some other post-emergence herbicides used in corn and soybeans. Producers should contact their agronomist or crop consultant for further considerations regarding additional nitrogen for the 2018 corn crop, as well as for late season post-emergence herbicide options for this year’s crop. June also had normal or above normal temperatures, allowing rapid development of corn and soybeans. As of June 27, the accumulated growing degree units (GDU’s) at Waseca since May 1 was 997, about 23 percent ahead of normal. The weekly USDA Crop Condition Report on June 25 listed 84 percent of Minnesota’s corn crop and 79 percent of the soybeans as “good to excellent.” That rating has since declined. Source - http://www.postbulletin.com