x
Breaking News
More () »

Dry weather could take toll on soybean crops

A lack of rain could negatively affect soybeans.

VIOLA, Illinois - Chad Bell grew up on the farm and has seen how the weather can take a toll on crops.

"We started off with a hail event back in the end of June and that shaved some yield off of our corn at that point," said Bell.

With a lack of rain in August and the start of September, it's concerning for the soybean crop.

"We won't really know what the damage is until the combine goes through the field," said Bell.

Bell says it can be hard to tell exactly how dry weather is affecting the crop but he knows they haven't had moisture to fill the pods and the beans.

"Soybeans is just a wild card because you can't really go out into the fields and really get accurate estimates until the combine tells us," said Bell.

Bell said the worry is about having low yields which will affect how much they make for the year.

"Margins are very tight as it is, even assuming good crops, so if we have something below than what we were expecting that will either put us at break even or even a possible loss for the year," said Bell.

However, the corn crop has a better outlook.

"Corn looks pretty well considering the dryness, we're gonna have a decent crop."

For now, all Bell can do is wait and hope mother nature didn't hurt the crop too badly.

Bell expects to start harvesting soybeans at the end of September.

Before You Leave, Check This Out