Here are some considerations passed along from the University of Kentucky on harvesting drought-stressed corn this year.

Soybean is susceptible to yield loss from water deficit, drought stress, at two key developmental stages, germination and reproduction-seed development.

There are no major insect pests of soybean seedlings, but occasionally we do run into problems. Some folks use an insecticidal seed treatment in soybeans. While these products are effective to kill insects, they will not provide a yield benefit.

Michigan State University is participating in a study with several other states in the Northeast U.S. to look at how cover crop residue impacts weed-seed decay over time.

Even with higher average yields this year, substantially lower corn prices could have a disproportionately large impact on producer returns as anecdotal evidence suggests that a relatively small portion of the 2012 crop has been forward-priced at higher price levels.

Corn residues are a major factor contributing to lower yields for corn following corn compared to corn rotated with soybean, particularly under no-till management.