The USDA is authorizing emergency procedures to help agricultural producers impacted by extreme drought conditions.

According to the most recent USDA crop progress report, some 26% of corn crops were reported silking as of the week ended July 11, in line with the 26% reported silking in the same week last year. The 5-year average for corn silking in the week was 30%.

USDA has reported some 10% of corn crops silking, above the 9% reported silking in the same week last year. The 5-year average for corn silking in the week was 14%.

Agricultural producers with crop insurance can now hay, graze or chop cover crops for silage, haylage or baleage at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment. Previously, cover crops could only be hayed, grazed or chopped after November 1, otherwise the prevented planting payment was reduced by 65%.

In case you missed them, here are the items that have garnered the most interest from other farmers in the past month.

Some 4% of corn crops were reported silking, in line with the 4% reported silking in the same week last year. The 5-year average for corn silking in the week was 6%.

In today’s Strip-Till Farmer podcast supported by The Andersons, we talk with retired USDA soil scientist Don Reicosky, a leading expert on carbon cycle management in agriculture. An internationally recognized author and speaker, Reicosky was among the first to research the relationship between CO2 and tillage.