Hail Damage Impact on Corn and Soybean

Hail can pose significant challenges to corn and soybean crops, with potential impacts on yield and crop recovery. The extent of damage depends on various factors, such as hail characteristics and the growth stage and variety/hybrid of the crops.

Soybean: Hail damage to soybeans can lead to defoliation, node loss, stand loss, and bruising. While yield loss is minimal during vegetative growth stages, reproductive stages are more susceptible. The extent of yield loss varies among soybean varieties and is influenced by weather conditions after the damage. Proper assessment of stand reduction, defoliation percentage, and nodes cut off/broken over percentage is essential to estimate yield loss accurately. Fortunately, soybean plants can recover and continue to grow even with substantial defoliation.

Corn: Hail damage in corn can cause stand reduction, leaf defoliation, stalk damage, and affect grain quality. The stage of corn during hail determines the level of damage. Young plants (before V5 stage) usually recover well as the growing point is below the soil surface. However, mid-season hail damage can be more detrimental, especially during key growth stages like tasseling or silking. The percentage of defoliation directly impacts yield loss, and larger defoliation percentages lead to more significant losses.

Apart from yield loss, hail damage in corn production can result in weed pressure, tassel deformation, stalk rot, lodging, lower test weights, grain quality concerns, and increased grain moisture at harvest.

In case of hail damage, it is advisable to delay field inspections for at least seven days to accurately assess the actual damage to stands, canopy, and crop recovery.

Understanding the implications of hail damage on corn and soybean crops can help farmers make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to mitigate losses and enhance crop recovery. Proper crop insurance coverage and timely communication with crop insurance providers are essential steps to secure financial protection in the face of hail damage.
 

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