ATLANTA, Ind. — Last week’s rain set Hoosier crops back after some sunny days the week before had perked them up.

"Farmers are not able to control their destiny. The environment is overpowering any best management practices they might employ. That’s what the frustration is," said Denny Cobb, gene sales agronomist for Beck’s Hybrids.

Cobb’s sales territory is in northern Indiana, which received 15-18 inches of rain in June, typically the sum total of rain for the entire growing season, he said. "One-third of our crops are healthy, one-third are ready to jump off the ledge and one-third are doing the death walk," he said last week, as rainfall and cool temperatures continued nearly every day.

For the crops still standing, disease pressure is just beginning. The wet, cool climate is perfect for northern corn leaf blight, said Kiersten Wise, Purdue University extension crop disease specialist, and gray leaf spot is showing up at low levels throughout the state.

"Farmers need to weigh the value of the crop and the costs of fungicide. This year more than most, there is great variability within a field and within an area," Wise said. Fungicide is costly and should be applied only if needed, she explained. Favorable conditions for disease include hybrids susceptible to foliar disease, corn-on-corn and non-tillage with residue in the field. If needed, she recommended applying a fungicide after pollination is complete.

Corn crops in some areas of southern Indiana look good, said Bob Nielsen, extension corn specialist, especially those in well-drained fields. "As I drive around the state, I’ve seen damage this severe before, but I haven’t seen this number of acres affected. There’s extreme variability in rainfall. Last week one farm got 3.5 inches of rain, and 20 miles away, they got a half-inch," he said.

Some affected corn acres could still recover if the excessive rain stops in time, Nielsen said. The state’s Climate Office is calling for more rainy, cool days in July. More sunny, warm days are needed and "the sooner, the better."

The good news is the insects that pester crops are drowning in the rain, too. Corn rootworm is vulnerable to saturated soils after it hatches, Nielsen said. In the short term, producers can walk fields to look for disease and insects.

Cobb has seen evidence of the European corn borer’s activity in non-genetically modified crops this year, especially in north-central Indiana. Spraying insecticide before the insect can burrow into the stalk is a time-sensitive task in order to control the spread.

Whether to apply nitrogen is another issue. In extreme cases, it may be too late to recover corn, but Nielsen said mid-level crop has the opportunity to improve should the weather change. For corn growers in northern Indiana, the picture looks somewhat bleak for stagnant stalks.

"We’re in a race with the calendar, and we’re on the short end of it. The first week of killing frost is in October, which is less than 90 days to develop. In the best situation, it would be difficult, and the weather doesn’t look promising," Cobb said.

Soybeans are suffering in the same areas of the state as corn: the northern, central and river bottoms of southern Indiana, said Shaun Casteel, extension soybean specialist. However, they have an extra month to bounce back.

Pale-green plants reveal a lack of nitrogen and root development, but they have the potential to recover, depending on their growth stage. Later vegetative stages, such as V-5 and V-6, have the opportunity to make it back, Casteel said. "We often talk about August being our make-or-break month. If it’s warmer this year, we could make up a lot of ground ... Soybeans can compensate a number of ways when they’re stressed out. If they have fewer nodes and pods, the seeds can be larger," he said.

It is too soon, however, to know how soybean yields will be affected by the excess rain, Casteel added.

For photos of corn and its specific nitrogen needs, visit www.kingcorn.org/cafe