Hot temperatures are finally expected to break starting tomorrow, which will benefit corn yields as we enter the late reproductive stages. Hot nights during grain fill can significantly reduce yields because corn plants continue to respire at night, and higher nighttime temperatures increase this respiration rate. This raises the plant’s demand for sugars (photoassimilates), creating an imbalance: while sugar production (photosynthesis) stops at night, the demand continues. As a result, more sugars are consumed for maintenance instead of being allocated to the developing kernels. This reduction in available carbohydrates for grain fill often cause a reduction in grain yield. Other processes in the plant are also influenced by hot night temperatures and can contribute to yield losses, so seeing a temperature decrease in the coming weeks is something both the corn crop and I will look forward to.

Precipitation has been more than adequate in most of the region as scattered showers have been consistent.