Officials at Soybean & Corn Advisor Inc. have expressed concern that an early frost will harm late-planted corn in the nation’s corn belt. Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota may all be at risk as corn develops at a slower-than-normal rate, leaving the immature crop vulnerable to a September frost.
An article by Rudy Ruitenberg in Bloomberg stated:
For a “killing frost” that ends the growing season, temperatures would have to fall to 27 or 28 degrees Fahrenheit for three to four hours, according to [Soybean & Corn Advisor Inc. president Michael] Cordonnier. Temperatures of 31 degrees Fahrenheit for a brief period would cause little damage.
The difference between a Sept. 1 frost date and an Oct. 1 frost date could be as high as 10 bushels per acre. The corn will be less vulnerable to the frost about 60 days after pollination, when there is 30-32 percent moisture content in the grain.PD—Summarized by PD staff from cited source
