LIMA, Ohio - As we enter the latter part of July, the crop season is now well underway with some important trends emerging.
The 2024–25 season featured a wide range of planting dates, from late April through early June. Due to that extended period, there has been significant variability in crop growth stages. Generally, both corn and soybeans are in the late vegetative to early reproductive stages, with corn in tassel to silking and soybeans now flowering. While rainfall has averaged slightly below normal for Lima in 2024–25, crops overall appear to be in decent health.
“The health of the crop is pretty decent. We've fared decently well for a less than average rainfall season, so far. Historically speaking, we're anywhere from 22 inches to 23 inches for the rainfall. So for this year, we're right around 17 to 18, maybe a little bit more than that, as of right now not calculating in the month of July. We've fared decently well as far as disease pressure, and any type of weeds, we've been able to maintain,” says Garth McDorman, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Allen County OSU Extension.
McDorman says we are entering a crucial stage in crop growth as we progress through the second half of summer. If the weather trends hot and dry, that's when some issues may develop.
