By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Summer rains have brought needed moisture, but relief for this year’s corn crop has been hit and miss.

Tom Oborny, Marion, said scattered showers had provided “spotty’ moisture to his corn.

“It depends,” he said. “Some did, but two miles down the road some did and some didn’t. It depends on where you go. It won’t be a bumper crop by any means, but we will find out soon enough.”

Rickey Roberts, county extension agent, said a dry spring may have determined the crop’s yield before this week’s rainfall.

“The showers were so scattered, the cloud you were standing under determined how much rain you got,” he said.

A corn crop’s yield is determined very early, which is why a terribly dry spring may stunt it.

Roberts said the recent rain would help, but some of the crop had already been damaged.

‘That’s the difference between corn and a crop like beans,” he said. “Beans will sit and wait and let the rain do its thing; corn wants its drink now.”

Kevin Suderman, Hillsboro, said he has been “pretty lucky” despite the dry weather earlier.

“Most of us have got some rain,” he said. “There are always some dry spots.”

He said his crop looked “average to above average” so far.

More rain will be fine, as long as it doesn’t flood.

“We’re at the point that more moisture would not do a whole lot of good, but it will help the soybeans,” he said.