Early Corn Crop in Mississippi Shows Promise Amid Heat Stress Concerns

Mississippi's corn crop is off to a promising start this year, with harvests beginning in July for one of the earliest planted crops on record. According to Erick Larson, corn specialist at the Mississippi State University Extension Service, most of the crop will be mature by the end of the month, which is weeks earlier than usual.

The early planting and warmer-than-normal spring temperatures contributed to the accelerated maturity, Larson said. The state's growers planted about 780,000 acres of corn this year, down from a record 910,000 acres in 2025.

While pest and disease issues have been minimal, heat stress caused by anaerobic soils has been a concern. This has resulted in kernel abortion at the tips of ears, also known as tip-back or tip dieback. Tom Allen, Extension plant pathologist, warned that fungus can invade areas where tip dieback has occurred, potentially producing toxins like Aspergillus.

Josh Tilley, Extension agent in Noxubee County, expects an early harvest in the first week of August, weather permitting. However, the possibility of both corn and soybean fields being ready to harvest at the same time poses a challenge for farmers.