in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date August 5, 2001 Issue IN-CW3101 Agricultural Summary Hot humid weather continued during the week. Some areas received rain, but precipitation was minimal in most areas of the state. Driest soil conditions exist in the northeast and southwestern portions of the state, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybeans continue to be in mostly good condition around the state. Weeds are popping up in some soybean fields. Field Crops Report There were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Corn condition is rated 79 percent good to excellent compared with 79 percent last week and 80 percent last year at this time. Virtually all of the corn acreage has silked compared with 99 percent last year and 85 percent for the 5-year average. Fifty-one percent of the corn acreage has reached the dough stage compared with 56 percent last year and 31 percent for the average. Soybean condition is rated 73 percent good to excellent compared with 72 percent last week and 68 percent last year. Ninety-eight percent of the soybean acreage is blooming compared with 95 percent last year and 82 percent for the average. Seventy percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods compared with 67 percent last year and 45 percent for the average. By area, 66 percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods in the north, 72 percent in the central regions and 70 percent in the south. Other activities during the week included harvesting mint, spraying weeds, mowing road sides, cleaning grain bins, repairing equipment, moving grain to market and care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 7 percent excellent, 45 percent good, 34 percent fair, 11 percent poor and 3 percent very poor. Third cutting of alfalfa hay is 44 percent complete compared with 37 percent a year earlier. Livestock were still under stress last week due to the hot, humid weather. Crop Progress Table -------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Silked 100 99 99 85 Corn Dough 51 26 56 31 Corn Dent 11 NA 14 4 Soybeans Blooming 98 94 95 82 Soybeans Podding 70 50 67 45 Alfalfa Third Cutting 44 20 37 NA Crop Condition Table -------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 1 4 16 56 23 Soybeans 1 6 20 56 17 Pasture 3 11 34 45 7 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 5 3 3 Short 21 16 16 Adequate 67 67 70 Surplus 7 14 11 Subsoil Very Short 6 4 5 Short 25 22 23 Adequate 65 66 67 Surplus 4 8 5 Days Suitable 5.9 4.4 4.1 Contact information --Ralph W. Gann, 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 Grain Fill Stages in Corn The grain fill period begins with successful pollination and initiation of kernel development, and ends approximately 60 days later when the kernels are physiologically mature. During grain fill, the developing kernels will be the primary sink for concurrent photosynthate produced by the corn plant. What this means is that the photosynthate demands of the developing kernels will take precedence over that of much of the rest of the plant. In essence, the plant will do all it can to 'pump' dry matter into the kernels, sometimes at the expense of the health and maintenance of other plant parts. A stress-free grain fill period can maximize the yield potential of a crop, while severe stress during grain fill can cause kernel abortion and lightweight grain. Fortunately up to this point in the 2001 growing season, weather and moisture conditions have been reasonably favorable for grain filling. Kernel development proceeds through several relatively distinct stages. Silking Stage (Growth Stage R1). Some may argue whether silking should be labeled as a kernel growth stage, but nonetheless silk emergence is technically the first identifiable stage of the reproductive period. Silks remain receptive to pollen grain germination up to 10 days after silk emergence. After 10 days without being pollinated, silk receptivity decreases rapidly. Natural senescence of silk over time results in collapsed tissue that restricts continued growth of the pollen tube. Silk emergence usually occurs in close synchrony with pollen shed, so that duration of silk receptivity is normally not a concern. Failure of silks to emerge in the first place, however, does not bode well for successful pollination. Kernel Blister Stage (Growth Stage R2). About 10 to 14 days after silking, the developing kernels are whitish 'blisters' on the cob and contain abundant clear fluid. The ear silks are mostly brown and drying rapidly. Some starch is beginning to accumulate in the endosperm. The radicle root, coleoptile, and first embryonic leaf have formed in the embryo by the blister stage. Severe stress can easily abort kernels at pre-blister and blister stages. Kernel moisture content is approximately 85 percent. Kernel Milk Stage (R3). About 18 to 22 days after silking, the kernels are mostly yellow and contain 'milky' white fluid. The milk stage of development is the infamous 'roasting ear' stage, that stage where you will find die-hard corn specialists out standing in their field nibbling on these delectable morsels. Starch continues to accumulate in the endosperm. Endosperm cell division is nearly complete and continued growth is mostly due to cell expansion and starch accumulation. Severe stress can still abort kernels, although not as easily as at the blister stage. Kernal moisture content is approximately 80 percent. Kernal Dough Stage (R4). About 24 to 28 days after silking, the kernel's milky inner fluid is changing to a 'doughy' consistency as starch accumulation continues in the endosperm. The shelled cob is now light red or pink. By dough stage, four embryonic leaves have formed and about 1/2 of the mature kernel dry weight is now in place. Kernel abortion is much less likely once kernels have reached early dough stage, but severe stress can continue to affect eventual yield by reducing kernel weight. Kernel moisture content is approximately 70 percent. Kernel Dent Stage (R5). About 35 to 42 days after silking, all or nearly all of the kernels are denting near their crowns. The fifth (and last) embryonic leaf and lateral seminal roots form just prior to the dent stage. A distinct horizontal line appears near the dent end of the kernel and slowly progresses to the tip end of the kernel over the next 3 weeks or so. This line is called the 'milkline' and marks the boundary between the liquid (milky) and solid (starchy) areas of the maturing kernels. Severe stress can continue to limit kernel dry weight accumulation. Kernel moisture content at the beginning of the dent stage is approximately 55 percent. Physiological Maturity (R6). About 55 to 65 days after silking, kernel dry weight usually reaches its maximum and kernels are said to be physiologically mature and safe from frost. Physiological maturity occurs shortly after the kernel milk line disappears and just before the kernel black layer forms at the tip of the kernels. Severe stress after physiological maturity has little effect on grain yield, unless the integrity of the stalk or ear is compromised (e.g., ECB damage or stalk rots). Kernel moisture content at physiological maturity averages 30 percent, but can vary from 25 to 40 percent grain moisture. Harvest Maturity. While not strictly a stage of grain development, harvest maturity is often defined as that grain moisture content where harvest can occur with minimal kernel damage and mechanical harvest loss. Harvest maturity is usually considered to be near 25 percent grain moisture. Bob Nielson, Dept. of Agronomy, Purdue University. This article also contains pictures, which can be viewed at: http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/ext/targets/p&c /P&C2001/P&C18_2001.pdf, pgs. 4-6. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday August 5, 2001 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|-----------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp --------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Valparaiso_Ag |92 63 78 +7 1.15 2 Wanatah |93 59 77 +6 0.41 2 83 Wheatfield |92 62 78 +6 0.23 1 Winamac |91 63 77 +5 0.21 1 83 North Central(2)| Logansport |91 63 78 +5 0.26 1 Plymouth |92 62 78 +5 0.15 1 South_Bend |92 63 79 +7 0.14 1 Young_America |91 61 77 +4 0.42 2 Northeast (3) | Bluffton |91 62 77 +4 0.02 1 79 Fort_Wayne |90 60 77 +4 0.00 0 West Central (4)| Crawfordsville |92 60 77 +3 0.12 1 79 Perrysville |89 63 77 +4 0.35 1 82 Terre_Haute_Ag |95 65 80 +5 0.04 1 83 W_Lafayette_6NW |92 60 77 +5 0.06 1 85 Central (5) | Castleton |90 68 79 +5 0.00 0 Greenfield |92 67 81 +8 0.13 2 Greensburg |91 64 78 +6 0.36 2 Indianapolis_AP |90 67 79 +5 0.00 0 Indianapolis_SE |91 63 78 +3 0.09 1 Tipton_Ag |90 58 76 +5 0.01 1 77 East Central (6)| Farmland |91 62 77 +6 0.12 2 78 New_Castle |87 58 74 +3 0.47 1 Southwest (7) | Dubois_Ag |93 65 79 +5 0.11 2 83 Evansville |93 66 80 +3 0.11 2 Freelandville |91 68 80 +5 0.00 0 Shoals |91 64 79 +4 0.10 2 Vincennes_5NE |94 64 80 +6 0.97 2 81 South Central(8)| Bloomington |92 64 79 +5 0.01 1 Tell_City |92 68 81 +5 0.05 1 Southeast (9) | Scottsburg |92 65 79 +4 0.43 3 ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2001 thru Station | August 5, 2001 |--------------------------------- |Precipitation| GDD Base 50oF |-------------|------------------- | Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Valparaiso_Ag | 14.93 -1.71 59 2018 +213 Wanatah | 15.96 -0.24 59 1912 +186 Wheatfield | 14.61 -1.22 55 2020 +246 Winamac | 17.09 +1.24 56 2010 +173 North Central(2)| Logansport | 21.71 +6.41 60 2032 +152 Plymouth | 15.78 -0.74 55 1883 -34 South_Bend | 15.49 -0.03 54 1989 +198 Young_America | 18.25 +2.95 53 2094 +214 Northeast (3) | Bluffton | 15.99 +0.48 59 2043 +116 Fort_Wayne | 17.12 +2.71 56 2016 +141 West Central (4)| Crawfordsville | 16.12 -1.23 53 2015 -13 Perrysville | 14.26 -3.03 50 2173 +185 Terre_Haute_Ag | 21.46 +3.95 49 2383 +265 W_Lafayette_6NW | 12.96 -2.95 49 2163 +284 Central (5) | Castleton | 20.18 +3.18 52 2204 +125 Greenfield | 21.04 +3.07 54 2278 +273 Greensburg | 19.16 +1.69 54 2303 +341 Indianapolis_AP | 18.77 +2.45 44 2327 +228 Indianapolis_SE | 17.18 +0.18 49 2123 +44 Tipton_Ag | 14.75 -1.39 44 1963 +141 East Central (6)| Farmland | 17.00 +1.15 51 2009 +235 New_Castle | 24.46 +7.04 55 1794 -20 Southwest (7) | Dubois_Ag | 16.76 -1.99 45 2459 +333 Evansville | 15.00 -1.87 47 2680 +224 Freelandville | 15.37 -2.13 38 2450 +259 Shoals | 18.09 -0.88 48 2318 +210 Vincennes_5NE | 14.09 -3.41 33 2550 +359 South Central(8)| Bloomington | 17.19 -0.35 49 2310 +167 Tell_City | 14.27 -4.76 35 2598 +266 Southeast (9) | Scottsburg | 18.35 +0.51 60 2397 +223 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 2001: 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.