Official: Week’s storms damaged crops
By CLEON RICKEL, Herald Senior Writer
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Some crop fields north and northeast of Ottawa and in southwestern Franklin County have received heavy damage from the large hail, high winds and heavy rains of this week’s storms.
“Many of the fields are showing complete damage,” Darren Hibdon, Franklin County Extension ag agent, said.
Many fields with corn 12 to 15 inches high are now two to three inches high because of the storm, he said.
Several wheat fields that looked like they would produce bumper-crop yields will likely produce little because of the hail damage, he said.
Two storms lashed the county Monday. The first, which was Monday morning, roared through the southwestern part of the county. The second, shortly after noon Monday, formed above Centropolis and ripped southeast across Ottawa and Rantoul. That storm later spawned tornadoes in Missouri.
It appears that the hail came in waves and damage was spotty, hitting some fields and leaving others untouched, he said.
Producers who were hit left with some unpalatable choices, he said.
“It sure presents some challenges,” Hibdon said.
Damaged corn crops can be replanted but late-planted corn doesn’t do as well and produces yields at half or less of earlier corn, he said.
“We sure hate to be planting corn in June,” Hibdon said.
In some cases, fields can be replanted to soybeans but that depends on the type of herbicide producers used for their corn, he said.
Instead, they may have to plant milo, he said.
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