in-crop-weather INDIANA WEEKLY WEATHER & CROPS Released: Monday, 3PM Sept. 25, 2000 Vol. 50, #25 W. Laf., IN CROP REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 24 Corn and soybean harvest made good progress early in the week before showers slowed field activities, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Most areas received some rain and strong winds occurred in isolated areas. Farmers are concerned with lodging problems in corn fields. Corn Corn condition is rated 71 percent good to excellent compared with 73 percent last week and 29 percent last year at this time. Eighty percent of the corn acreage is mature compared with 92 percent last year and 68 percent for the average. By region, 75 percent of the corn acreage is mature (safe from frost) in the north, 83 percent in the central region and 82 percent in the south. Fourteen percent of the corn acreage is harvested compared with 23 percent last year and 11 percent for the 5-year average. Moisture content of harvested corn is averaging 23 percent. Soybeans Soybean condition is rated 64 percent good to excellent compared with 64 percent last week and 23 percent last year. Eighty-five percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared with 94 percent a year earlier and 75 percent for the average. Fifty-five percent of the soybean acreage is reported as mature compared with 68 percent a year ago and 46 percent for the average. Thirteen percent of the soybean acreage is harvested compared with 23 percent last year and 11 percent for the average. Moisture content of harvested soybeans is averaging 13 percent. Other Crops Pasture condition is rated 11 percent excellent, 56 percent good, 29 percent fair, 3 percent poor and 1 percent very poor. Tobacco harvest is 85 percent complete compared with 90 percent last year and 77 percent for the 5-year average. Four percent of the winter wheat acreage is seeded compared with 5 percent last year and 6 percent for the average. Days Suitable and Soil Moisture For the week ending Friday, 5.2 days were rated suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture was rated 2 percent very short, 8 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 7 percent very short, 16 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Crop Progress --------------------------------------------------- : This : Last: Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week: Year : Avg --------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn in Dent 100 98 100 95 Corn Mature 80 60 92 68 Corn Harvested 14 7 23 11 Soybeans Shedding Lv 85 72 94 75 Soybeans Mature 55 27 68 46 Soybeans Harvested 13 3 23 11 Winter Wheat Seeded 4 2 5 6 Tobacco Harvested 85 78 90 77 Crop Condition ----------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 1 4 24 51 20 Soybeans 1 7 28 50 14 Pasture 1 3 29 56 11 Soil Moisture ----------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------ Percent Topsoil Very Short 2 1 75 Short 8 9 22 Adequate 77 78 3 Surplus 13 12 0 Subsoil Very Short 7 6 70 Short 16 18 26 Adequate 70 70 4 Surplus 7 6 0 --Ralph W. Gann, State Statistician --Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://info.aes.purdue.edu/agstat/nass.html New Wheat Variety Improves Management of Hessian Fly - Seed of new variety will be available for planting in fall 2000 - Planting after the fly-free date is a key management strategy for reducing Hessian fly problems - Highest levels of infestation occur in Southwest Indiana As reported in 1999, a new soft red winter wheat variety resistant to Hessian fly biotype L (designated as INW9811 by Purdue University) is available to Indiana wheat growers. Although many wheat varieties grown in Indiana have the H5 or H6 genes for Hessian fly resistance, INW9811 is the only variety resistant to biotype L, which is predominant in fly populations throughout the state. INW9811 was developed in cooperation with the USDA and released by Purdue in 1998 through the licensing program. INW9811 has performed well in field trials conducted by Ag. Alumni Seeds across the southern cornbelt and in Indiana. A comparison of yield of INW9811 with Madison, AP Foster, Pioneer 2540, Patterson and Clark at four locations are shown below. INW9811 is early, heads 1 day later than Clark, and has resistance to glume blotch, leaf blotch, soilborne mosaic and wheat yellow mosaic viruses. It has excellent soft wheat milling and baking qualities. INW9811 has demonstrated excellent resistance to field populations of the Hessian fly from Illinois, Indiana, northern Alabama and Arkansas, southern Delaware and Maryland, and eastern North Carolina that have a high frequency of biotype L. Commercial seed of INW9811 will be available for planting the fall of 2000. Parties interested in further information can contact Jon Stafford, Purdue Ag. Alumni Seeds, West Lafayette, IN. The toll-free number is 800- 822-7134. Although Hessian fly populations remain low throughout Indiana, the potential for flies to infest fall-planted winter wheat still exists, especially in the south-western counties. Much of the fall fly population can be avoided by planting after the fly-free date. This is key to avoiding subsequent infestation by the spring brood. Additionally, it has been shown that following the fly-free date will help reduce wheat disease problems and reduce winter kill from excessive growth. To determine the fly-free date for your area of the state, refer to the enclosed map. Crop rotation, where wheat following wheat is avoided, also is one of the key management strategies for reducing Hessian fly problems. The Hessian fly passes the summer in the stubble of the current wheat crop. Plowing the stubble results in the destruction of the pest. Volunteer wheat, the wheat seedlings sprouting in the fall from grain left in the field during threshing, germinates and begins growing just in time for the fall emergence of the Hessian fly. These plants are readily infested resulting in a rapid build-up of the population. The use of resistant varieties, in combination with the above pest management strategies, increases the chance for a fly-free crop. Specific characteristics and yield potential of varieties presently grown in Indiana can be determined by consulting Purdue Station Bulletin "Performance of Public and Private Small Grains in Indiana - 1998", web access: http://shawdow.agry.purdue.edu/agronomy/ ext/smgrain/variety/sm~var.htm or talk to your seed dealer. Comparison of Yield of INW9811 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Sullivan : Ursa : Centralia : Columbia : Yield Variety : IN : IL : IL : MO : Avg. ----------------------------------------------------------- Madison 74.6 60.6 82.0 62.8 70.0 AP Foster 76.5 65.8 75.7 55.1 68.3 Pio. 2540 59.5 64.0 80.4 67.2 67.8 INW9811 73.8 61.8 69.4 62.5 66.9 Patterson 76.9 52.6 74.7 57.8 65.6 Clark 66.0 47.2 78.2 58.6 62.5 71.0 56.6 74.9 59.9 65.6 Weather Data Week ending Sunday September 24, 2000 -------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2000 thru Station | September 24, 2000 |--------------------------------- |Precipitation| GDD Base 50oF |-------------|------------------- | Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------ Northwest (1) Valparaiso_Ag 88 43 63 +1 0.72 4 Wanatah 90 42 62 +1 1.29 4 66 Wheatfield 91 42 64 +3 0.36 3 Winamac 87 43 63 +1 0.62 3 65 North Central (2) Logansport 87 46 64 +2 0.92 3 Plymouth 86 44 63 -1 0.73 3 South_Bend 86 45 64 +2 0.86 4 Young_America 88 42 65 +3 0.77 3 Northeast (3) Bluffton 84 44 64 +1 1.10 3 62 Fort_Wayne 84 42 65 +3 1.87 3 West Central (4) Crawfordsville 85 39 63 -1 1.81 3 66 Perrysville 87 41 65 +2 0.90 3 67 Terre_Haute_Ag 89 42 66 +2 1.19 3 69 W_Lafayette_6NW 89 42 66 +4 0.48 4 64 Central (5) Castleton 84 44 64 -2 1.05 3 Greenfield 83 44 65 +0 1.32 3 Greensburg 84 45 65 +2 1.10 3 Indianapolis_AP 84 45 67 +3 0.91 3 Indianapolis_SE 82 45 65 +0 0.81 3 Tipton_Ag 85 41 64 +2 2.02 3 63 East Central (6) Farmland 84 42 63 +2 0.79 3 61 New_Castle 80 43 61 -2 1.05 3 Southwest (7) Dubois_Ag 85 48 66 +1 0.90 2 69 Evansville 87 48 69 +3 0.97 3 Freelandville 85 47 66 +1 1.16 2 Shoals 85 42 65 -1 0.74 2 Vincennes_5NE 88 48 67 +2 0.30 2 68 South Central (8) Bloomington 85 45 65 -1 1.33 2 Tell_City 86 46 67 +0 0.62 2 Southeast (9) Scottsburg 85 44 65 -1 0.96 3 Accumulation April 1, 2000 thru Station September 24, 2000 Precipitation| GDD Base 50oF | | | | Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN Northwest (1) Valparaiso_Ag 25.06 +1.77 77 2725 +13 Wanatah 25.30 +2.77 70 2600 +10 Wheatfield 23.73 +1.86 56 2797 +149 Winamac 22.97 +1.18 62 2737 +10 North Central (2) Logansport 24.55 +3.47 69 2825 +5 Plymouth 25.55 +3.34 73 2613 -255 South_Bend 22.07 +0.49 74 2703 +13 Young_America 22.39 +1.31 65 2886 +66 Northeast (3) Bluffton 23.73 +2.84 71 2815 -76 Fort_Wayne 25.85 +6.46 65 2794 -24 West Central (4) Crawfordsville 24.38 +1.69 61 2731 -282 Perrysville 22.00 -1.00 67 2960 +3 Terre_Haute_Ag 31.70 +8.58 69 3398 +245 W_Lafayette_6NW 19.41 -2.14 70 2939 +134 Central (5) Castleton 30.38 +8.30 81 2977 -142 Greenfield 29.04 +5.40 73 2993 -15 Greensburg 27.94 +4.97 77 3090 +161 Indianapolis_AP 24.48 +2.89 63 3181 +55 Indianapolis_SE 27.22 +5.14 65 2928 -191 Tipton_Ag 24.23 +2.34 67 2655 -65 East Central (6) Farmland 29.41 +8.08 72 2737 +80 New_Castle 27.18 +4.58 67 2448 -275 Southwest (7) Dubois_Ag 27.26 +2.40 73 3367 +180 Evansville 23.95 +2.18 68 3636 +16 Freelandville 29.19 +6.51 58 3289 +33 Shoals 30.82 +6.32 70 3146 -12 Vincennes_5NE 32.22 +9.66 65 3340 +84 South Central (8) Bloomington 27.68 +4.51 60 3021 -180 Tell_City 26.51 +1.55 58 3550 +54 Southeast (9) Scottsburg 31.80 +8.46 63 3307 +63 ---------------------------------------------------------- DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). GDD = Growing Degree Days. Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2000: 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.