Hot, Dry Weather Starting To Stress Big US Soybean Crop - Reuters

[hatrack]

CHICAGO - Hot and dry weather around the US Midwest was threatening the soybean crop during its key pod-setting stage of development, agronomists said.

The crop was in pretty good shape as it began the pod-setting stage, which determines how big the crop will be at harvest, but persistent dry conditions could cut into total production. "Despite (farmers) planting late, they (soybeans) have recovered OK," said Palle Pedersen, extension agronomist for soybeans at Iowa State University. "If we can get an inch or two inches of rain in the next two weeks then we will be in really good shape but right now it looks really dry."

The US Agriculture Department said Monday that 51 percent of the soybean crop was setting pods, compared to 50 percent in late July 2006. The five-year average for late July is 41 percent.

The crop was rated 58 percent good to excellent, down from 61 percent a week earlier as the hot weather began to take its toll. Traders had been expecting soybean ratings to be steady to down 2 percentage points from the previous week. Although the conditions had started to deteriorate in the field, there was still time for soybeans to recover.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43419/story.htm

[MADem]

1. Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! I like mah damned TOFU!!!! nt

[no_hypocrisy]

2. You mean the agribusiness corporate growers of genetically modified soybeans?

[fed-up]

3. similar to the GMO cotton that couldn't withstand the high temps---what else is wrong w/GMOs??? nt