At the end of the 2023 growing season, our agronomists took a little time to look back and reflect on what made the year great—and not-so-great. 

As usual, the weather played a significant role. Many of the wins and losses of the 2023 growing season can be directly attributed to water—lack of rain, precipitation showing up at specific times, and overall long-term drought conditions.

Other factors had significant impacts across our growing region, too. Some, like particular disease issues, were expected. Others, like Canadian wildfire smoke, threw farmers for a loop.

After evaluating all those elements with yield data, our team compiled a list of 2023’s biggest ups and downs. 

Some of these factors helped farmers run up the score, but a few caused frustrating defeats.

Here are the biggest wins and losses of the 2023 growing season:

Win: Fewer Planting Issues

Across many growing areas, the 2023 growing season went off without a hitch. Sure, there were the usual breakdowns and repairs, but Mother Nature allowed plenty of uninterrupted fieldwork, and replant acres were lower than in previous years.

By the first USDA-NASS report of June, 96% of corn was planted, and 85% of the crop had emerged across prime growing regions. Respectively, this was 3% and 9% ahead of the 2022 numbers and 5% and 8% ahead of the five-year average.

Soybeans were even better. Planting and emergence rates for 2023 were at 91% and 74%, respectively, on June 4—both 15% or greater advantages over 2022 and the five-year average statistics.

Those wider planting windows set up the crop cycle, from germination to harvest, for success. They helped mitigate drought and pest risk, plus acted as a bit of a buffer against wild-card environmental factors, like wildfire smoke, which came later in the growing season. 

Loss: Drought

The 2023 growing season was dry, but drought conditions weren’t isolated to places that expect that weather, like western states and the High Plains. Drought was widespread across many regions and was the driving force behind many growing issues.

_{2023 Annual Time Lapse of Drought Conditions, droughtmonitor.unl.edu}

At a national level, the drought increased in scope through the growing season. At the start of planting, 20.4% of the continental U.S. held a D1-D4 drought status. By harvest, that had nearly doubled to 39.6%.

_{Time Series Drought Monitor, droughtmonitor.unl.edu}

Most individual growing regions experienced at least a few drier months—but the impact on crops depended mainly on the drought’s timing. 

Much of the Great Plains started 2023 under severe drought conditions. That dryness only worsened as spring rolled in and planters rolled out. Wet weather may not have delayed planting, but that same lack of rainfall didn’t bode well for seeds just getting their start.

Throughout much of the Corn Belt, soil conditions were relatively favorable. But once late May arrived, the spigot shut off. Drought conditions in the eastern Corn Belt continued to worsen through June, while the Plains began to finally see some rainfall. Precipitation picked back up in July and August, creating more favorable conditions for pollination and grain set.

Ultimately, drought tolerant hybrids coincided with less pest and disease incidence to mitigate significant negative yield impact. In the eastern Corn Belt, Indiana and Ohio withstood the dry conditions, topping their 2023 yield trends by more than 5% each. However, in the western Corn Belt, where drought conditions were more pronounced, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota suffered lower yields. 

With variable, hit-or-miss rain events likely again in 2024, growers can benefit from planting a mix of hybrids across their acres to address fluctuating environmental factors like drought.

Win: Fewer Wet Fungal Diseases

Those dry conditions did create some positives. The absence of moisture lessened some disease pressure, especially with wet fungal diseases. Gray leaf spot caused few issues, with minimal presence in Iowa. 

Northern corn leaf blight had a very inactive season—except in Texas. NCLB went wild in parts of the Lone Star State. 

While fungal diseases are tougher to predict prior to the growing season, the importance of using the right fungicides at the right time in 2024 is pivotal.

Win: Tar Spot Tolerant Hybrids

The prevalence of tar spot was much lower in the 2023 growing season, but that doesn’t mean it stayed in place.

The disease showed up in Delaware for the first time last year, while multiple counties in Maryland also got their first dose in 2023. Mid-season instances of tar spot popped up in fields across Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. Indiana data pointed to disease pressure levels similar to 2021. 

_{AgPestMonitor.com}

However, the disease’s overall seriousness and associated yield loss were lower than in previous years. Much of that resistance was thanks to tar spot tolerant hybrids. Pair those superior hybrids with the drier weather across most of the country, and we saw less disease and less need for control via fungicides.

Win: Less Greensnap

Slower-growing and more flexible cornstalks—which can help reduce damage from diseases like greensnap—ended up being another silver lining of the drought. 

Common in places like Iowa, greensnap occurs when sudden thunderstorms and strong winds cause rapidly growing corn stalks to snap at a node. Developing cells aren’t strong and hardened yet, making them more susceptible to wind damage.

As the Corn Belt experienced less severe wind and derecho damage throughout the 2023 growing season, most corn remained standing last summer. The economic impact of avoiding these catastrophic winds looms large as research indicates that yield decreases by about 1% for every 1% stalk breakage.

But not everyone escaped the growing season unscathed. Small regions of Arkansas and Mississippi felt the wrath of greensnap due to severe weather in mid-June.

Win/Loss: Canadian Wildfire Smoke

The haze that covered much of the Corn Belt last summer was an unwelcome visitor, courtesy of Canadian wildfires. 

For starters, the smoke decreased air quality and increased the amount of ozone near the ground. Not only is ozone harmful to humans, but it can also damage plants during cellular respiration.

The smoke also filtered out a lot of sunlight. In Indiana, during the last week of June, solar radiation decreased by 32% compared to the week prior. 

_{National Weather Service, July 2023}

The wildfire smoke was a loss, but it did have some unintended benefits. Less direct sunlight also meant less heat stress. On the scorching summer days of 2023, the smoke protected crops from higher temperatures, and although less sunlight reached the plants, the smoke did help to scatter the available light, allowing it to reach leaves deeper in the canopy.

Loss: Input Costs and Inflation

Once again, the perennial problem of input costs didn’t let up in 2023. From fertilizer to fuel and interest rates to equipment upkeep, the bills just kept getting bigger.

Although a few inputs did experience a slight dip in 2023 compared to 2022, the overall increase in prices since 2020 has been unprecedented for the farm economy. 

Between FY2020 and FY2023, fertilizer and interest rate expenses jumped 78%. Pesticide costs increased by 66%, and nearly all other input categories experienced increases between 10% and 35%. 

Unfortunately, the USDA notes that increases aren’t likely to ease up. Farm sector profits are expected to fall in 2024.

Loss: An Expanding Corn Rootworm Map

Corn rootworm showed up in more places last year, largely due to the dry weather. 

In Minnesota, greater cold tolerance of overwintering eggs led to an increased prevalence of the pest in the northern half of the state. With the addition of the drought, the impact of root injury on yield intensified. Iowa also had sporadic levels of pressure and intensity. 

The Bayer CropScience corn rootworm study provided details at a national scope. 53% of cornfields sampled had counts exceeding the economic threshold of two beetles/trap/day. This was equal to 2022 and up from 38% in 2021. 

71% of continuous corn-on-corn fields sampled were above the economic threshold. 

First-year cornfields exceeded the economic threshold in 14% of cases, marking a four percentage point rise from 2022.

With a bigger footprint, corn rootworm will likely be a hotter topic in 2024. With yield losses averaging 15% and, in some instances, up to 45% or more, it will be on the radar for many farmers in the coming year. 

Win/Loss: Harvest

The lack of rain worked out for farmers during harvest. Fewer precipitation events opened up wider harvest windows, allowing nonstop combine operation and less stress in the race to get crops out of the field.

Corn and soybean harvests started quickly in 2023, as farmers took advantage of the clear skies and worked overtime to get the crops in. Harvest progress slowed a little in mid-October, but still wrapped up earlier than the previous five-year average.

However, all that nonstop harvesting did present challenges. Paired with bigger yields, combines and trucks took longer to unload, which caused slowdowns at elevators.

Win: Friday Night Football

Farmers may have found more time this season to be in the stands at the local high school football game. Less disease meant less time spraying late fungicides in August and September. Combine that with drier forecasts, and farmers were more comfortable taking a quick break to catch the game.

While there were plenty of challenges, the 2023 growing season ended with many big wins for farmers. As you prepare for the upcoming growing season, reach out to your local LG Seeds agronomist so your reliable partner can help set you up for 2024 wins.