in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date August 10, 2008 IN-CW081008 AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY Much needed rain and cooler temperatures came to many portions of the state with some northwestern areas receiving over five inches of precipitation, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, dry conditions persist in some north central and northeastern counties. Aerial applications of fungicides and some insecticides continue to be made to corn fields. Herbicides are still being sprayed on soybeans as weeds continue to be a problem. Many farm families have been enjoying a visit to the state fair. FIELD CROPS REPORT There were 5.3 days suitable for field work. Corn condition improved and is rated 71 percent good to excellent compared to 43 percent last year at this time. Ninety-three percent of the corn acreage has silked compared with 99 percent last year and 97 percent for the 5-year average. Twenty-four percent of the corn acreage is in the dough stage compared with 65 percent last year and 56 percent for the 5-year average. Eighty-six percent of the soybean acreage is blooming compared with 95 percent last year and 92 percent for the 5-year average. Forty-five percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods compared with 73 percent last year and 66 percent for the 5-year average. Soybean condition improved and is rated 66 percent good to excellent compared with 40 percent last year at this time. The third cutting of alfalfa hay is 27 percent complete compared with 29 percent last year and 30 percent for the 5-year average. Good yields have been reported but re-growth has slowed in many areas due to the recent hot, dry weather. Major activities during the week included: attending the state fair, reporting crops and signing up at FSA offices, mowing roadsides, scouting fields, spraying herbicides and fungicides, baling hay, and taking care of livestock. LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT Pasture condition declined and is rated as 16% excellent, 43% good, 28% fair, 9% poor and 4% very poor. Livestock are in mostly good condition and are enjoying the cooler temperatures. Crop Progress Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Silked 93 86 99 97 Corn in Dough 24 8 65 56 Soybeans Blooming 86 73 95 92 Soybeans Setting Pods 45 18 73 66 Alfalfa - 3rd Cutting 27 NA 29 30 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 3 6 20 48 23 Soybean 3 7 24 49 17 Pasture 4 9 28 43 16 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table ---------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : ---------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 3 3 36 Short 19 26 35 Adequate 73 66 29 Surplus 5 5 0 Subsoil Very Short 3 3 36 Short 15 18 39 Adequate 76 72 25 Surplus 6 7 0 Days Suitable 5.3 5.8 6.4 Contact Information --Greg Preston, Director --Andy Higgins, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Agricultural Comments And News TOADSTRANGLERS IN AUGUST: GOOD OR BAD FOR THE CORN CROP? Published 5 Aug 2008 Folks often joke that the Chicago Board of Trade reacts to whatever the weather is doing in downtown Chicago. Well, this Extension corn specialist freely admits that the torrential rainfall occurring outside the windows of Lilly Hall this morning has caught his attention. What are the consequences of excessive rainfall now that much of the state's corn crop is moving into the grain filling period? As you might expect, the answer is "it depends". Obviously, torrential rain plus strong winds often result in stalk breakage (aka "green snap") or root lodging (plants uprooted and laying nearly flat to the ground). The yield effect of "green snap" damage depends on the percentage of field affected and whether the stalk breakage occurs above or below the ear, but is usually serious regardless. Obviously, stalk breakage below the ear results in zero yield for that plant. Stalk breakage above the ear results in significant yield loss due to the loss of upper canopy photosynthesis capacity for that plant. Root lodged corn will recover or straighten up to varying degrees depending on the growth stage of the crop. Generally, younger corn has a greater ability to straighten up with minimal "goose-necking" than older corn. Root lodged corn that is beyond the silking stage of development will likely not straighten back up. Yield effects of root lodging depend on whether soil moisture remains adequate for root regeneration, the severity of root damage due to the uprooting nature of root lodging, and the degree of "goose-necking" that develops and its effect on the harvestability of the crop. Outright flooding of low-lying fields along rivers or creeks this late in the season can cause several problems for a corn crop. Deposits of sediment and crop residues often remain on crop plants once the water recedes that either outright smother any surviving plants or greatly reduce their ability to capture sunlight and photosynthesize carbohydrates until subsequent rain washes it off the plants. Mud and crud that cakes the leaves and stalks encourage subsequent development of fungal and bacterial diseases in damaged plant tissue. Further physical crop damage (soil erosion, washing away of plants, lodging of plants, and plant tissue damage) occurs from the force of the flowing water on land adjacent to flooded creeks and rivers as well as from any debris caught up in the floodwaters. Soil oxygen is quickly depleted in ponded areas of fields or areas that are simply poor drained and remained saturated for days after a serious rain event. With typical summer temperatures, such oxygen deprivation quickly takes its toll on the root system of a full-size corn crop. Damage to a corn plant's root system today will predispose the crop to the development of root and stalk rots later by virtue of the photosynthetic stress imposed by the limited root system during the important grain filling period. Growers should monitor affected fields later in August or early September for the possible development of stalk rots and modify harvest-timing strategies accordingly. The good news is that fields not seriously impacted by flooding, ponding, or wind damage from recent toadstranglers will likely benefit from such mid-summer rainfall. That old adage that "rain in July makes corn" is true, but rainfall in August is always welcome to ensure adequate soil moisture during the all-important grain filling period. As of yesterday (4 Aug), areas of northcentral and northeast Indiana had only received 1 to 3 inches of rain during the past 30 days (see accompanying graphic). Non-irrigated sandy fields in those areas of Indiana have likely suffered irrecoverable yield losses due to moisture deficits, but will nevertheless respond to current or subsequent rainfall. Rainfall amounts throughout the remainder of the state over the past 30 days have been a bit more plentiful, but many corn growers will be thankful for any rain they receive during the remainder of the month. Related References Midwest Regional Climate Center. 2008. Climate Watch. [On-line]. Available at http://mcc.sws.uiuc.edu/cliwatch /watch.htm. [URL accessed 8/5/08]. Nielsen, R.L. (Bob). 2003a. Bacterial Ear Rot in Corn Due to Flooding. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.03/EarRot-0720.html. [URL accessed 8/5/08]. Nielsen, R.L. (Bob). 2003b. Corn & Soybean Loss From Floods & Ponding. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news /articles.03/Flooding-0717.html. [URL accessed 8/5/08]. For other timely crop management info... Chat 'n Chew Cafe: http://www.kingcorn.org/cafe CNN Archives: http://www.kingcorn.org /news/archive.html In order to view the weather chart associated with this article, go to: URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news /articles.08/Toadstranglers-0805.html R.L. (Bob) Nielsen, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054 Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The INDIANA CROP & WEATHER REPORT (USPS 675-770), (ISSN 0442-817X) is issued weekly April through November by the USDA, NASS, Indiana Field Office, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite 110, 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 USDA, NASS, Indiana Field Office, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite 110, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday August 10, 2008 ----------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|------------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN| Total|Days |Temp ----------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) Chalmers_5W 85 54 70 -3 2.38 2 Francesville 84 53 69 -3 5.27 3 Valparaiso_AP_I 87 53 73 +2 1.82 2 Wanatah 87 47 69 -3 5.22 2 77 Winamac 86 53 71 -2 5.03 2 North Central(2) Plymouth 85 51 70 -4 2.70 2 South_Bend 86 50 71 -2 0.63 1 Young_America 85 49 68 -6 2.76 2 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 84 49 69 -3 1.79 5 67 Fort_Wayne 85 53 71 -2 1.55 4 West Central(4) Greencastle 87 54 71 -4 0.20 1 Perrysville 90 53 73 -1 0.29 3 82 Spencer_Ag 89 56 73 -2 0.38 3 Terre_Haute_AFB 89 55 73 -2 0.08 2 W_Lafayette_6NW 87 55 71 -2 1.34 2 73 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 88 60 74 +0 1.63 2 Greenfield 85 56 71 -3 2.07 3 Indianapolis_AP 88 60 75 +1 1.57 2 Indianapolis_SE 86 56 72 -3 2.63 2 Tipton_Ag 88 52 71 -1 2.46 3 79 East Central(6) Farmland 83 50 69 -3 1.82 3 74 New_Castle 84 53 69 -4 1.56 3 Southwest (7) Evansville 93 60 77 -1 0.39 1 Freelandville 88 59 74 -2 1.41 1 Shoals_8S 88 54 71 -4 0.86 1 Stendal 90 58 75 -2 0.95 3 Vincennes_5NE 90 60 76 +2 0.42 1 81 South Central(8) Leavenworth 89 58 74 -1 0.32 2 Oolitic 87 57 72 -2 1.51 2 77 Tell_City 91 61 76 -2 0.62 3 Southeast(9) Brookville 89 56 73 +0 0.91 2 Greensburg 86 56 72 -2 1.87 3 Scottsburg 88 57 73 -2 1.29 3 ----------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday August 10, 2008 ------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2008 thru Station | August 10, 2008 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |19.07 +2.55 51 1826 -308 Francesville |20.43 +3.93 53 1838 -127 Valparaiso_AP_I | 8.90 -8.34 43 1962 +26 Wanatah |16.77 -0.03 50 1787 -64 Winamac |22.45 +5.95 52 1841 -124 North Central(2)| Plymouth |17.65 +0.59 55 1831 -222 South_Bend |11.55 -4.57 47 1952 +30 Young_America |22.51 +6.62 51 1882 -131 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |17.75 +1.66 54 1795 -39 Fort_Wayne |17.68 +2.72 55 2012 +1 West Central(4) | Greencastle |31.29 +12.40 54 1892 -376 Perrysville |23.12 +5.17 55 2116 -9 Spencer_Ag |33.50 +14.19 60 2068 -68 Terre_Haute_AFB |26.34 +8.23 47 2189 -73 W_Lafayette_6NW |18.76 +2.18 59 1977 -33 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |27.79 +10.85 58 2243 +1 Greenfield |28.96 +10.25 61 1980 -165 Indianapolis_AP |23.82 +6.88 55 2267 +25 Indianapolis_SE |27.08 +9.41 51 1981 -243 Tipton_Ag |21.27 +4.46 59 1890 -61 East Central(6) | Farmland |19.96 +3.50 54 1826 -75 New_Castle |25.24 +7.17 57 1828 -117 Southwest (7) | Evansville |22.47 +5.11 47 2610 -4 Freelandville |25.90 +7.84 51 2288 -50 Shoals_8S |24.23 +4.65 51 2109 -144 Stendal |27.79 +8.51 72 2423 -33 Vincennes_5NE |22.41 +4.35 44 2375 +37 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |22.39 +2.47 75 2382 +136 Oolitic |25.59 +6.89 55 2042 -111 Tell_City |21.67 +2.02 45 2520 +31 Southeast(9) | Brookville |21.04 +2.93 58 2120 +81 Greensburg |27.46 +9.32 55 2151 +55 Scottsburg |22.78 +4.31 63 2321 +0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 2008: Agricultural Weather Information Service, 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