in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 23, 2004 Issue IN-CW2104 Agricultural Summary Rain, along with strong thunderstorms, moved through the state during the week halting field activities in most areas, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Recent precipitation has helped replenish both topsoil and subsoil moisture around the state. Some ponding and flooding has occurred in low lying areas of fields. Emerged corn and soybeans look good. Weeds are becoming a problem in fields not yet planted. First cutting of hay crops has been slow because of the frequent showers. Field Crops Report There were 2.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Ninety-six percent of the intended corn acreage is planted compared with 70 percent for last year and 79 percent for the 5-year average. Eighty-eight percent of the corn acreage has emerged compared with 54 percent last year and 64 percent for the average. By area, 89 percent of the corn is planted in the north, 90 percent in the central region and 81 percent in the south. Seventy-eight percent of the intended soybean acreage is planted compared with 36 percent last year and 60 percent for the average. Sixty-one percent of the soybean acreage has emerged compared with 19 percent last year and 40 percent for the average. By area, 82 percent of the soybean acreage is planted in the north, 85 percent in the central region and 57 percent in the south. Ninety-two percent of the winter wheat is headed compared with 77 percent last year and 81 percent for the average. Winter wheat condition is rated 82 percent good to excellent compared with 81 percent last year at this time. Setting of tobacco plants is 14 percent complete compared with 6 percent last year and 17 percent for average. First cutting of alfalfa hay is 16 percent complete. Major activities during the week were tillage of soils, spraying herbicides, repairing equipment, moving grain to market, hauling manure and taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 17 percent excellent, 66 percent good, 15 percent fair and 2 percent poor. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Crop Progress Table ----------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 96 93 70 79 Corn Emerged 88 71 54 64 Soybeans Planted 78 66 36 60 Soybeans Emerged 61 31 19 40 Winter Wheat Headed 92 65 77 81 Tobacco Plants Set 14 6 6 17 Crop Condition Table ------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 0 2 12 63 23 Winter Wheat 2004 1 2 15 63 19 Pasture 0 2 15 66 17 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 0 1 0 Short 2 8 0 Adequate 65 73 56 Surplus 33 18 44 Subsoil Very Short 2 3 0 Short 10 15 4 Adequate 71 73 60 Surplus 17 9 36 Days Suitable 2.5 4.1 3.1 Contact information --Greg Preston, State Director --Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/in/index.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Agricultural Comments And News EFFECTS OF FLOODING OR PONDING ON YOUNG CORN Recent intense rainfall events (technically referred to as "toad stranglers" or "goose drownders") in southern Indiana have caused flooding of low-lying corn fields or ponding in poorly drained swales within fields. Other areas within fields, while not technically flooded or ponded, may remain saturated for lengthy periods of time. What are the prospects for recently planted or emerged corn? For corn that has been recently planted, but is not yet emerged, the obvious risk is with surface soil crusts that may develop following a severe downpour. The risk is particularly high for conventionally tilled fields. Corn emergence can be especially challenging when a dense surface crust "sets up". The resistance of a crust to coleoptile penetration often results in corkscrewed mesocotyl elongation below the surface and eventual leafing out underground if coleoptile emergence is delayed long enough. Monitor high-risk fields where corn emergence has not yet occurred and be prepared to use a rotary hoe if necessary to break up the crust and aid emergence. Don't dawdle on using the rotary hoe until the crust has baked dry into "concrete". Operate the hoe at a good speed and do not worry about the occasional corn seedling that is flipped out of the soil. A side benefit to breaking a dense soil crust is the resulting enhanced soil aeration. The "wet feet" caused by flooding or ponding creates other risks for corn that has already emerged, primarily because soil oxygen is depleted after about 48 hours of soil saturation. Without oxygen, the plants cannot perform critical life sustaining functions; e.g., nutrient and water uptake is impaired and root growth is inhibited. The growth stage of a corn crop greatly influences whether ponding or saturated soils kills, severely stunts, or mildly stunts the corn plants. Plants younger than V6 (six visible leaf collars) are susceptible to damage for two reasons. First of all, the growing point is at or below the soil surface from VE to about V6 (Nielsen, 2004) and therefore is directly subject to the stress of oxygen-depleted conditions. In plants older than V6, the growing point may be above the water level and the likelihood for survival improves greatly. Secondly, plants younger than V6 are in the process of trying to successfully establish a vigorous root system. Stunting or death of roots by oxygen-depletion can be a major stress for a plant that is not yet fully established. Prior to leaf stage V6, corn can survive only two to four days of flooded or ponded conditions. If temperatures are warm during that time (mid-70s or higher) such young plants may not survive 24 hours. Cooler temperatures prolong survival. The likelihood of crop injury is less where the flooded or ponded conditions last less than 48 hours. To confirm plant survival, check the color of the growing point and look for new leaf growth three to five days after water drains from the field. Healthy growing points will be firm and yellowish-white, not mushy and discolored. Plants older than V6 will tolerate ponding or saturated soils longer for essentially the opposite reasons. As plants develop beyond V6, rapid stalk elongation elevates the growing point region above the soil surface and, thus, away from the direct stress of flooded soils. Secondly, an older crop's root system will simply be larger and consequently the crop can tolerate a certain amount of root death without dying or dramatic stunting. Nonetheless, extended periods of saturated soils plus warm temperatures will take their toll on the overall vigor of the crop. Some root death will occur and new root growth will be stunted until the soil dries to acceptable moisture contents. As a result, plants may be subject to greater injury during a subsequently dry summer due to their restricted root systems. Concomitant (I found a new word in the dictionary!) with the direct stress of saturated soils on a corn crop, flooding and ponding can result in significant losses of soil nitrogen through the processes of denitrification and leaching of nitrate N. Significant loss of soil N will cause nitrogen deficiencies and possible additional yield loss. Brouder & Joern (1998) offer guidelines in estimating the amount of nitrogen loss due to saturated soils and making decisions on application of additional nitrogen fertilizer to fields once ponded. Lengthy periods of wet soil conditions favor the development of seedling blight diseases, especially those caused by Pythium fungi (Ortiz-Ribbing, 2001). Poorly drained areas of fields are most at risk for the development of these diseases and so are also at most risk for potential replant operations if significant stand loss occurs due to seedling blight outbreaks. Certain diseases, such as common smut and crazy top, may also become greater risks due to flooding and cool temperatures (Bissonnette, 2002). The fungus that causes crazy top depends on saturated soil conditions to infect corn seedlings. The common smut fungal organism is ubiquitous in soils and can infect young corn plants through tissue damaged by floodwaters. There is limited hybrid resistance to either of these two diseases and predicting damage is difficult until later in the growing season. SELECT REFERENCES: Bissonnette, Suzanne. 2002. Odd Plant Diseases Due to Odd Season. Univ. of Illinois Pest & Crop Bulletin, 6/21/02. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. Brouder, Sylvie and Brad Joern. 1998. Predicting Early Season N Loss. Purdue Univ. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. Farnham, Dale. 1999. Corn survival in wet conditions. Iowa State Univ. Integrated Crop Management Newsletter, 5/24/1999. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. National Soil Survey Center. 1996. Soil Quality Indicators: Soil Crusts. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. Nielsen, R. L. (Bob). 2004. Growing Points of Interest. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. Online at Growing Points-0507.html. (URL verified 5/7/04). Ortiz-Ribbing, Loretta. 2001. Seedling Blights Caused by Pythium spp. Univ. of Illinois Pest & Crop Bulletin, 5/4/2001. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. Thomison, Peter. 1995. Effects of Flooding and Ponding on Corn (AGF-118-95). Ohio State Univ. Online at [URL verified 5/7/04]. Don't forget, this and other timely information about corn can be viewed at the Chat'n Chew Cafe on the Web at . For other information about corn, take a look at the Corn Growers' Guidebook on the Web at . R.L. (Bob) Nielsen, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Email: rnielsen@purdue.edu. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday May 23, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|------------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days |Temp ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |88 43 70 +7 1.27 4 66 Valparaiso_AP_I |84 48 67 +7 0.27 5 Wanatah |85 44 66 +6 0.34 6 68 Wheatfield |82 48 66 +5 1.62 4 Winamac |83 50 68 +7 0.52 4 North Central(2)| Plymouth |83 53 68 +6 0.44 5 South_Bend |83 51 69 +9 1.21 5 Young_America |86 57 72 +11 0.58 4 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |84 53 69 +9 1.12 5 Fort_Wayne |85 52 70 +8 0.69 5 West Central (4)| Greencastle |85 54 72 +8 1.92 3 Perrysville |89 55 73 +11 1.02 3 71 Spencer_Ag |86 54 73 +10 0.29 2 Terre_Haute_AFB |89 57 75 +11 1.20 2 W_Lafayette_6NW |88 51 71 +9 0.78 3 73 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |86 56 73 +9 1.61 5 Greenfield |87 53 72 +9 1.37 2 Indianapolis_AP |87 58 74 +10 1.38 2 Indianapolis_SE |86 54 72 +9 1.20 3 Tipton_Ag |86 52 72 +11 0.64 3 East Central (6)| Farmland |84 53 72 +11 0.84 5 New_Castle |84 51 70 +9 0.77 2 Southwest (7) | Evansville |89 59 76 +9 0.79 2 Freelandville |86 55 73 +9 0.36 3 Shoals |87 55 73 +10 0.72 2 Stendal |87 56 74 +9 1.71 2 Vincennes_5NE |87 55 74 +9 0.81 3 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |86 56 73 +10 1.12 3 Oolitic |85 54 72 +9 0.08 2 Tell_City |88 60 76 +10 0.50 2 Southeast (9) | Brookville |87 53 72 +11 1.87 3 Milan_5NE |86 55 73 +11 1.44 5 Scottsburg |85 56 73 +9 1.26 3 --------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday May 23, 2004 ----------------|-------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2004 thru Station | May 23, 2004 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W | 5.34 -1.23 16 495 +109 Valparaiso_AP_I | 4.46 -2.33 18 471 +158 Wanatah | 4.61 -1.88 21 421 +151 Wheatfield | 9.88 +3.56 28 445 +153 Winamac | 4.94 -1.31 21 479 +145 North Central(2)| Plymouth | 5.65 -1.01 21 451 +99 South_Bend | 4.31 -1.83 21 517 +223 Young_America | 3.79 -2.45 16 537 +208 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City | 4.90 -1.28 22 459 +188 Fort_Wayne | 4.26 -1.65 20 503 +193 West Central (4)| Greencastle | 5.88 -1.40 19 519 +93 Perrysville | 5.90 -0.97 15 597 +225 Spencer_Ag | 5.58 -2.06 20 548 +172 Terre_Haute_AFB | 3.75 -3.54 13 642 +219 W_Lafayette_6NW | 4.41 -2.24 14 549 +214 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP | 4.53 -2.16 19 581 +169 Greenfield | 4.69 -2.61 18 530 +159 Indianapolis_AP | 4.95 -1.74 17 622 +210 Indianapolis_SE | 4.70 -2.44 17 553 +160 Tipton_Ag | 3.47 -3.29 16 501 +201 East Central (6)| Farmland | 4.92 -1.43 22 502 +212 New_Castle | 4.38 -3.01 17 425 +127 Southwest (7) | Evansville | 6.43 -1.19 18 732 +178 Freelandville | 4.10 -3.60 19 625 +177 Shoals | 6.64 -1.44 23 630 +196 Stendal | 6.92 -1.42 16 685 +189 Vincennes_5NE | 5.69 -2.01 21 671 +223 South Central(8)| Leavenworth | 9.01 +0.81 21 620 +180 Oolitic | 5.60 -2.03 22 560 +167 Tell_City | 8.34 -0.07 21 740 +229 Southeast (9) | Brookville | 7.17 -0.20 20 532 +191 Milan_5NE | 7.62 +0.25 28 552 +211 Scottsburg | 9.24 +1.70 24 605 +153 ------------------------------------------------------------- DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). GDD = Growing Degree Days. Precipitation (Rainfall or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of .01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2004: AWIS, Inc. All rights reserved. The above weather information is provided by AWIS, Inc. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The INDIANA CROP WEATHER REPORT (USPS 675-770), (ISSN 0442-817X) is issued weekly April through November by the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. Second Class postage paid at Lafayette IN. For information on subscribing, send request to above address. POSTMASTER: Send address change to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. Source: Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service