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| Between the Rows - June 16, 2010 (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois) |
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Indiana
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Despite continued wet weather in much of the state, the progress of corn and soybean planting remains ahead of - or on - pace, according to the most recent information from the Indiana field office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
For the week ending June 6, 97 percent of the state’s corn crop had been planted, up from 88 percent last year. The five-year average is 95 percent.
Corn is also emerging faster than last year and the five-year average. Ninety-two percent of the crop has emerged, up from last year’s 69 percent. The five-year average of 86 percent.
For soybeans, 81 percent of the crop had been planted, up from 66 percent last year. The five-year average is 81 percent. While corn planting is continuing at a strong pace overall, the northeastern and southeastern parts of the state are a bit behind due to wet weather, said Greg Matli, deputy director of the Indiana NASS office.
“What we really need right now are just weekly rains and nice warm temperatures,” he said. “Timely rains would really help things along.”
Cold temperatures, including some frost after crops were planted, have potentially caused some stress on plants, the NASS report said. The cool and cloudy weather, and excessive rains in parts of the state, have also contributed to some stress.
No major problems with disease and pests have been reported, Matli said.
Most of the state’s winter wheat is headed, though the crop condition rating is down slightly from last year.
This year, 70 percent of winter wheat is rated good to excellent, compared to 76 percent last year. Ninety-seven percent of the crop is headed. Last year at this time, the number was 96 percent, and the five-year average is 97 percent.
By Michele F. Mihaljevich
Indiana Correspondent
Ohio
Farmers managed little field work in between showers and thunderstorms that moved through most of the state according to the Ohio NASS report for the week ending on June 6.
In general, field crops in the state are looking good although some appear yellow because of all the rain, said Harold Watters who is housed in the Champaign County Extension Office and works on a state wide agronomic crops team.
“We were ahead of the five-year average (on corn) by Mother’s Day and any time you can do that the likelihood of getting a good yield is improved,” Watters said. “The wet feet are not a good thing, though. We really need some dryer weather.
“Soybeans were delayed—we will have some very good soybeans,” he said. “I know around the state there are some six-leaved soybeans. Here in Champaign County the three or four fields I looked at today only had three leaves on them.”
According to the NASS report 97 percent of corn had been planted and that’s 2 percent behind the five-year average. Eighty-seven percent of corn had emerged, 3 percent ahead of last year but 5 percent behind the five-year average.
Soybeans were 79 percent planted; 92 percent was the five-year average. Sixty-four percent had emerged, 1 percent ahead of last year but 9 percent behind the five-year average.
Several farmers called Watters about head scab in wheat. He counted 28 percent in one field - a significant amount that will impact yields by maybe 15 percent.
“Rainy weather during and just before flowering is the reason - when most of the state was flowering, we had rain,” he said.
By Celeste Baumgartner
Ohio Correspondent
Illinois
PEORIA, Ill. — Persistent rainstorms peppered with hail and high winds halted farmers’ planting progress in most of Illinois the week of May 31-June 6, pushing soybean planting slightly behind schedule across much of the state.
The Illinois NASS report for June 7 showed that while corn emergence, at 97 percent, is well ahead of the five-year average of 90 percent, soybean planting was holding true to the norm with 82 percent planted and 69 percent emerged. The five-year average for soybeans in Illinois is 81 percent planted and 63 percent emerged.
Soybean planting and growth progress in central Illinois would be at a higher rate had Mother Nature not interfered with one of the most beautiful early spring planting periods in recent memory, according to Peoria County Farm Bureau manager Patrick Kirchhofer on June 11.
“In May the weather turned much wetter, and once again we were back to sporadic planting,” said Kirchhofer, referring to weather patterns in 2008 and 2009 that kept many farmers from planting until June. “Probably 70 percent of the soybeans are planted in our area; the rest are being planted in between rain showers. We’re having a tough time getting the soil dried out even with the hot weather we’ve been experiencing, because all of the moisture and humidity and high temperatures seem to be causing pop-up showers every few days. We could handle 7-10 days in a row with no rain.”
Kirchhofer added that the condition of corn planted in central Illinois appears to be “in pretty good shape” except for in low-lying areas or areas with poor drainage. Standing water in fields contributes to poor oxygen and nitrogen uptake in corn plants, said Kirchhofer.
Overall, NASS rated Illinois’ corn crop condition as 1 percent “very poor,” 5 percent “poor,” 21 percent “fair,” 54 percent “good” and 19 percent “excellent” in their June 7 report.
By Tim Alexander
Illinois Correspondent
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| 6/16/2010 |
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