IL farmers expect record corn production due to wet, hot summer

KANEVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- A warm and wet summer for most of the Chicago area is expected to bring record corn production for some farmers.

However, weather conditions have also raised concerns for growers, despite the 8-feet tall corn.

"A lot of eyes are going to be open when we start getting into the field and we start harvesting this crop. It may not be as good as the analysts are predicting," said farmer Joe White in Kaneville in Kane County.

Warm, muggy nights have stressed the corn crops, because they haven't had an opportunity to recover from the day, White said.

White said he's seen evidence of such stress from a sampling of cobs that he's picked - such as kernels disappearing from the cob tip.

"The ear actually pollinates all the way to the end of the cob, but then depending on the stress that it's under, it aborts kernels, and then the kernels at the tip of the cob disappear," White said.

Despite his concerns, White said he expects a pretty good crop this year.

However, the verdict for soybeans is still out.

"What we're starting to see in the soybean crop is sudden death syndrome," White said. "The plant is actually dying prior to its maturity. And then the other thing we are starting to see is white mold. And a lot of that has to do with the humidity we've had this summer."

Prices for soybeans are high enough for farmers to make a profit, but that's not the case for corn.

Many corn farmers are planning to store their harvest until prices improve

Harvesting does not start until late September.