STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s row crops have had enough rain, and most fields just need sunshine.

Erick Larson, grain crops specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said corn is mature and will gain no benefit from additional moisture. In the first couple of weeks of August, skies were overcast or rain was falling across most of the state.

“Rains are delaying corn harvest and hindering natural grain dry-down in the field. We have a lot of corn that is mature and ready for harvest. Growers will probably resume harvest as soon as sunshine returns, which will probably have some negative implications on soil conditions,” Larson said. “Fields will likely still be pretty wet and muddy when the combines and grain carts return to the fields. We hate to rut up and compact the soil at any time of year, but we will likely see some this fall.”

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