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Ag Expert Expresses Concern about Crop Conditions
A local agronomist says the area likely just didn't see the rain farmers might have wanted over the weekend.

Lance Tarchione says he hates to be so pessimistic, but after a nearly perfect start to the planting and growing seasons, so soon, fields are getting a bit too dry -- with temperatures and dryness comparable to July or August.

Tarchione tells the WGIL Mid-Day he's worried crops are suffering from a problem he hasn't seen in most of the time he's been in agriculture: "rootless corn syndrome" -- a function of early season dry weather.

"That's when your soil is so dry or the planter furrow cracks back open a little bit so that you've got air getting in contact with the root development of the corn," he said. "And the dryness of poor soil contact interferes with the development of the roots."

Tarchione says the end result is corn that, literally, falls over because the roots can't support it -- usually found in extremely dry situations.

He says he's only seen that one time before in the last several decades he's been in agriculture, like in the mid to late-80's, and what he's seen in local fields may be worse than that.

Tarchione says the only thing that can help is a couple of inches of rain -- but not all at once, since most of that would run off of many fields.
05 30 12 by Newsroom
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