in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date April 13, 2003 Issue IN-CW1503 Agricultural Summary Rain and wet soil conditions kept most farmers out of their fields during the week. This allowed farmers time to move grain to market and prepare equipment for spring planting, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Cold temperatures prevailed early in the week, but soils became progressively drier in many areas allowing farmers to resume field activities later in the week. Scattered fields of corn were planted and by the weekend several fields were tilled and ready for planting. Field Crops Report There were 2.9 days suitable for fieldwork. The best progress for field activities was made in the west central area of the state. One percent of the intended corn acreage is planted compared with 2 percent for the 5-year average. Most farmers are waiting for soils to dry out and warm up to continue field activities. Soils remain cool in most areas of the state. Farmers welcomed the recent precipitation as concern of dry soil conditions existed in some portions of the state. Anhydrous ammonia was being applied on many fields last week. Twenty-six percent of the winter wheat acreage is jointed compared with 23 percent last year and 36 percent for the 5-year average. Winter wheat condition is rated 76 percent good to excellent compared with 57 percent last year at this time. Wheat growth and development is improving. Major activities during the week were tillage of soils, spreading dry fertilizer, spraying chemicals, repairing equipment, hauling manure, cleaning fence rows, field tile maintenance, purchasing supplies, along with taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 3 percent excellent, 38 percent good, 41 percent fair, 15 percent poor and 3 percent very poor. Pastures continue to improve and green up, lowering the demand for hay. Hay supplies are rated 23 percent very short, 43 percent short, 32 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Cows are thin on some farms. Lambing and calving remain active. Crop Progress Table -------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 1 0 0 2 Winter Wheat Jointed 26 7 23 36 Crop Condition Table -------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Pasture 3 15 41 38 3 Winter Wheat 2003 0 3 21 60 16 Winter Wheat 2002 1 7 35 49 8 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 2 3 0 Short 6 8 0 Adequate 73 66 40 Surplus 19 23 60 Subsoil Very Short 7 9 0 Short 17 13 3 Adequate 66 67 62 Surplus 10 11 35 Days Suitable 2.9 3.7 1.5 Contact information --Greg Preston, State Statistician --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 BURNDOWN HERBICIDE DECISIONS We have been able to get out of the office and observe some of our fall applied research plots and travel across the state. We have observed a number of fields starting to turn green, planters in the barnyard, and fertilizer applications. It must be time to think about early season weed control and crop planting! Here are a few items to consider. I have noticed my fields starting to turn green. Do I need to be controlling these weeds if I won't be planting until late April or early May? Although we have had a cold winter and a relatively dry spring, warm weather between now and the beginning of planting season will result in robust winter weed growth that is difficult to control and utilizing valuable soil moisture. Since we are about 3 to 4 weeks before planting season, one should consider making a herbicide application to control vegetation in no-till fields if winter weed growth is 6 inches tall and likely to be 12 inches or taller by late April. If there are primarily broadleaf weeds present, economical products to use for an early April burndown include 2,4-D, glyphosate, and Gramoxone. If marestail/horseweed and/or dandelion is present, 2,4-D should be used as a component of the burndown program. Early season burndown (without residual herbicides) should be considered if: 1. winter weed growth will require tillage and/or excessive herbicides rates for control prior to planting 2. soil moisture is limited and weed growth will further deplete moisture reserves 3. weed growth and plant residue will interfere with planting operations and seed placement Should you include a residual herbicide with the burndown treatment in early April? Research results indicate that weed control costs can become excessive if residual herbicides are used more than 15 days before planting. If wet weather delays planting, supplemental postemergence practices are usually needed to control escapes. Due to weather uncertainties, we recommend applying residual herbicides no more than 2 weeks prior to the planned date planting. Applying the residual products as close as possible to planting time will provide more weed control activity to the crop growing in the field. For corn production, if an early April burndown is not needed and emerged weeds are present when burndown applications are made in late April and May, adding crop oil to an atrazine premix will control broadleaf weeds that are 4 inches tall or less and grass weeds are 1 inch tall or less. Other herbicides can be added to the atrazine premix to control larger weeds. If the emerged weeds are strictly broadleaf weeds 2,4-D is a very cost effective tankmix partner. For mixed grass and broadleaf species, use Roundup/Touchdown (or other glyphosate formulations) on large weeds and Roundup/Touchdown or Gramoxone Extra on small weeds. The addition of 2,4-D to Roundup is recommended to improve control of dandelions, and marestail/horseweed. Banvel/Clarity will improve control of alfalfa, clover or chickweed. The performance of Gramoxone Extra is enhanced when applied with atrazine,Extrazine, Bladex, and Sencor. In soybean, University research has also shown that herbicide applications made prior to 15 days before planting without a split or sequential application at planting will usually provide poor control and are not recommended. The burndown herbicides Gramoxone Extra, Roundup/Touchdown and 2,4-D can be tankmixed with many residual herbicides. Gramoxone Extra and Roundup may be applied early preplant through planting. Conversely, 2,4-D applications must be made at least 7 days (ester) or 15 days (amine) prior to planting soybean for application rates up to 1 pt/A, or at least 30 days (ester and amine) prior to planting if applied at 1-2 pt/A. When using 2,4-D in your burndown program for soybean, remember to plant seeds at least 1.5 to 2 inches deep to avoid crop injury from 2,4-D. Authority, Canopy, Canopy XL, Sencor, Domain, Boundary, Steel, Squadron, and Gauntlet also provide residual and some burndown activity since they contain either a triazine (Sencor/Lexone, Domain, Boundary), a aryltrialzolinone (Authority, Canopy XL, Gauntlet), sulfonylurea (Canopy, Canopy XL), imidazolinone (Steel, Squadron), or triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide (Gauntlet) herbicide. Adding a spray additive is usually needed to maximize foliar activity. Consult the label for more specific information on weeds controlled and spray additives when utilizing these herbicides for burndown. Other non-residual herbicides for preplant weed control in soybeans include: Assure II, Fusion, Poast Plus and Select. These herbicides control annual and perennial grass weeds. Bill Johnson, Glenn Nice, and Tom Bauman, Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday April 13, 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|-----------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |70 27 40 -11 0.43 2 42 Valparaiso_AP_I |67 26 38 -10 0.24 2 Wanatah |69 25 38 -9 0.24 1 45 Wheatfield |72 24 39 -8 0.43 1 Winamac |69 27 39 -9 0.50 1 44 North Central(2)| Plymouth |68 26 39 -11 0.30 2 South_Bend |66 25 39 -9 0.25 2 Young_America |68 29 41 -7 0.30 2 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |67 28 39 -7 0.44 3 43 Fort_Wayne |68 29 40 -8 0.33 2 West Central (4)| Greencastle |69 28 42 -9 0.12 2 Perrysville |71 25 42 -8 0.21 1 46 Spencer_Ag |69 31 44 -7 0.25 1 Terre_Haute_AFB |70 31 45 -6 0.08 1 W_Lafayette_6NW |69 26 40 -8 0.38 1 45 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |67 31 44 -7 0.17 2 Greenfield |66 29 42 -8 0.28 2 Indianapolis_AP |68 32 45 -6 0.13 2 Indianapolis_SE |66 28 42 -9 0.15 1 Tipton_Ag |67 26 40 -7 0.35 2 48 East Central (6)| Farmland |67 28 40 -7 0.41 3 39 New_Castle |64 26 40 -8 0.18 2 Southwest (7) | Evansville |73 36 49 -6 1.08 2 Freelandville |71 33 47 -6 0.26 2 Shoals |74 33 46 -6 0.41 1 Stendal |73 33 48 -6 0.79 3 Vincennes_5NE |73 33 47 -5 0.28 2 48 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |72 35 47 -6 0.97 4 Oolitic |70 33 46 -6 0.51 2 45 Tell_City |75 35 51 -3 1.31 2 Southeast (9) | Brookville |70 30 45 -5 0.61 3 Milan_5NE |67 31 44 -6 0.55 3 Scottsburg |68 33 45 -8 0.57 3 ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2003 thru Station | April 13, 2003 | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W | 2.26 +0.76 5 51 +20 Valparaiso_AP_I | 1.85 +0.19 5 41 +23 Wanatah | 1.94 +0.32 4 38 +25 Wheatfield | 1.98 +0.36 4 53 +40 Winamac | 1.83 +0.28 4 51 +32 North Central(2)| Plymouth | 1.78 +0.14 5 43 +22 South_Bend | 2.42 +0.74 5 39 +24 Young_America | 1.13 -0.30 5 51 +33 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City | 1.74 +0.18 6 31 +20 Fort_Wayne | 2.01 +0.58 5 33 +17 West Central (4)| Greencastle | 0.41 -1.15 3 53 +18 Perrysville | 0.76 -0.90 2 62 +35 Spencer_Ag | 0.65 -1.05 2 55 +25 Terre_Haute_AFB | 0.41 -1.21 2 64 +27 W_Lafayette_6NW | 1.56 +0.04 4 60 +41 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP | 0.32 -1.27 3 65 +33 Greenfield | 0.96 -0.72 3 55 +32 Indianapolis_AP | 0.45 -1.14 3 66 +34 Indianapolis_SE | 0.84 -0.71 2 57 +28 Tipton_Ag | 0.71 -0.95 3 45 +31 East Central (6)| Farmland | 0.79 -0.74 4 48 +35 New_Castle | 0.86 -0.83 4 34 +20 Southwest (7) | Evansville | 1.16 -0.58 3 80 +14 Freelandville | 0.69 -0.92 3 60 +16 Shoals | 0.63 -1.13 2 64 +21 Stendal | 0.85 -1.07 4 70 +17 Vincennes_5NE | 0.49 -1.12 3 64 +20 South Central(8)| Leavenworth | 1.20 -0.83 5 66 +21 Oolitic | 1.23 -0.49 3 62 +27 Tell_City | 1.76 -0.33 3 91 +33 Southeast (9) | Brookville | 1.01 -0.61 4 62 +40 Milan_5NE | 1.01 -0.61 4 56 +34 Scottsburg | 0.82 -1.01 4 61 +17 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 2003: 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