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Abnormally dry conditions across Indiana are causing concerns for farmers during a season of crop growth. Purdue Extension specialists Shaun Casteel and Dan Quinn and Indiana State Climatologist Beth Hall encourage producers to keep a watchful eye on crops and Indiana’s drought status.
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Harvest is progressing in the local area, but any moisture in the forecast could slow production down for a few days.
Purdue Extension Agricultural Educator Phil Woolery says corn and soybeans are about 50-percent out of the ground at this point in October in the local area. So far this harvest season, there have been stretches of good weather and stretches of unfavorable weather.
August rains have prompted emergency situations in some portions of the state, but in Northwest Indiana, it may have done some good for corn and soybeans.
The USDA is encouraging local farmers to enroll in a crop insurance program before the August deadline.
The unofficial start of spring planting for corn started last weekend, but soil temperatures and a bit of rain may have already slowed progress just a bit.
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Weather so far this spring has been a bit of a rollercoaster in Northern Indiana, presenting a bit of a challenge to area plant enthusiasts.
Warmer temperatures in March, and a wintry mix predicted this week are prompting a few recommendations from Purdue Extension Agricultural Educator Phil Woolery. He says the more a plant has developed, the more likely it is to be affected by colder temperatures.
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Extension educators from around the state gathered in Indianapolis late last week to learn about the damage recent rains are causing to area fields.
It’s estimated that Indiana’s crops have lost $300-million in value due to the amount of rainfall in certain portions of the state. Northern sections of Indiana have been impacted more heavily than other areas.
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Rains over the last several days have left plenty of water in fields.
According to Purdue Extension Agricultural Educator Phil Woolery, the standing water may be at a point that it’s now causing poor root growth. In severe cases, this amount of moisture can lead to seedling death.
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A weekend tornado in Starke County was reported to have damaged crops slightly, but hail and the added rainfall may begin affecting production even more.
Storms have left fields a bit damp for farmers as standing water has been reported in fields throughout Starke and Pulaski County. Standing water begins to affect roots after a couple of days.
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“We’ve had favorable conditions through pollination and the cool temperatures have helped the corn kind of realize close to their maximum potential this year,” commented Rushing.
The topsy-turvy weather pattern that occurred early this spring saw many farmers planting earlier than usual. Now, the hot temperatures with little moisture is taking a toll on the young corn crop. La Porte County Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Educator for Purdue University Eugene Matzat explained that the corn crop isn’t doing the greatest.
“Obviously the corn crop needs a drink of water. It’s showing some signs of stress. Corn that is relatively tall is probably about hip high, and it’s showing signs of moisture stress. I saw some corn late last week that was curling up trying to conserve moisture,” said Matzat.
Unfortunately, there’s no relief in sight as Matzat also noted that no rain is forecast for the immediate future.
Less than 40 percent of the corn crop this year is in good to excellent condition, according to the weekly Indiana Crop and Weather Report for the week ending Aug. 21. Most of the corn, 37 percent, is in fair condition. Thirty-eight percent of the soybean crop is in good condition. This is in contrast to last year, in which 59 percent of corn was in the good to excellent condition.
According to the report, scattered rains brought some relief to a few areas of the state, but it wasn’t enough to stop the crop conditions from continuing to decline. A lot of corn was planted late, causing some of the crops to mature later than expected. This could be problematic, as these late crops need ideal weather conditions in order to mature properly.
For the 4th year, inner city youngsters from Toledo, Ohio have been in Starke County helping with a program called CROPS, which is an acronym for Center for Rural Outreach and Public Services. CROPS was begun in 2004 by Beverly Santicola, a professional grantwriter, and her mother, Ardella Paulsen.
