Rain showers helped to improve drought conditions with less than half the state still in extreme to exceptional drought conditions, compared with nearly 70 percent on July 31, according to the Indiana field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

“Most of the improvement in the drought status this past week was in the southwest,” said Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist based at Purdue University. “Elsewhere, there’s not a lot of change from a week ago.”

Late-planted soybeans benefited from the recent rainfall with additional growth and pod fill. Corn harvest has begun in some fields around the state, with lower-than-normal silage yields because of reduced stalk matter caused by the drought.

Pastures and hayfields have greened up in the past two weeks, with hopes of one more cutting of hay this season.

Ninety-one percent of the corn acreage is in dough, compared with 64 percent last year and 69 percent for the five-year average. Fifty-eight percent of the corn is in the dent stage, compared to 17 percent last year and 25 percent for the five-year average.

Nine percent of the corn acreage is mature, compared to none last year and 1 percent for the five-year average. Corn condition is rated 9 percent good to excellent, compared with 38 percent last year at this time.

Ninety-four percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods, compared with 70 percent last year and 77 percent for the five-year average. Four percent of the soybeans are shedding leaves, compared to none last year and 1 percent for the five-year average. Soybean condition continued to improve and is now rated 20 percent good to excellent, compared with 45 percent last year.

Rain is a good four-letter word that availed itself across much of Illinois in the past few weeks, and brought with it the welcome relief of cooler temperatures. On average, an inch of rain fell in many parts of the state, and temperatures were 5 degrees below normal.

Phil Ellis, a farmer with land east of Chrisman and into Indiana, was grateful for recent significant rain. “We had about 1.5 inches in a narrow strip and also a slow, steady six inches in a 48-hour period. We’ve got grass growing in pastures again.”

The rain spurred Ellis’ soybeans and he believes he’ll have “some decent soybeans 50 bushel or better. It’s so hard to predict harvest this year, but I predict I’ll see 100-bushel corn, and we usually do 40 acres of corn silage.”

Harvest is beginning in Clark County and in the upper Wabash Valley, according to Don Guinnip near Marshall. “I’ve confirmed whole fields of corn yields ranging from 70 to 80 bushel and 28 to 38 bushel per acre. Moisture is in the high teens, the test weight is light to okay. Much of the poor corn is being cut for silage,” he said.

Guinnip’s farm had considerable wind damage on Aug. 16, resulting in much of the corn leaning with some downed.

“I ordered a reel for my corn head. We have not harvested anything yet and we are probably two weeks out. Early Group III beans are beginning to turn. Many, including myself, plan on planting more wheat this fall. Like many, pastures are in relatively bad shape and we are forced to feed hay.”

With county fair season in full swing across Ohio, cooler temperatures combined with several rain showers made the past several days less stressful for livestock and people. Hay and soybeans benefitted from the showers, but most of the corn crop is too far along to show much change.

Temperatures were about 1.5 degrees below normal, but average rainfall of 0.35 inch, below normal for the week, left topsoil across two-thirds of the state rated short or very short for moisture. With much of the past week suitable for fieldwork farmers were busy spraying for weeds and spider mites, which were popping up in their fields, tilling wheat stubble, applying fertilizer and other routine tasks.

About 86 percent of the corn was rated in the dough development stage, compared to 50 percent last year. Almost half of the corn crop is dented, compared to 7 percent last year, and 1 percent is mature. Corn harvested for silage is at 25 percent, compared to 3 percent last year.

Producers need to be cautious when harvesting corn because nitrate issues can be a problem, according to Rory Lewandowski, extension educator, Wayne County. He said when cold-season grasses such as corn are stressed and stop growing, nitrates accumulate in the stalks and don’t move up into the leaves where they are turned into proteins.

He cautions producers to test their corn for nitrate levels before feeding to livestock, particularly if they plan to feed out of the field as green chopped corn. However, if the corn is harvested for silage, the fermentation process breaks down the nitrates and reduces the risk of nitrate poisoning.

Soybeans are also slightly ahead of last year at this time, with 8 percent of the crop starting to drop leaves.

Seventy-eight percent of the third cutting of alfalfa was complete, compared to 67 percent last year, with many producers starting fourth cutting and running about 9 percent ahead of last year, with 18 percent of the crop harvested. Cooler temperatures and rain brought on other types of hay, allowing farmers to get a second cutting for their feed inventory.

The second cutting of other hay was 89 percent complete, 1 percent ahead of last year, and those producers fortunate enough to have timely rains earlier in the season are into third cutting with 30 percent complete, 8 percent ahead of last year. Pastures remain in poor condition throughout much of the state.

In the produce area, 74 percent of summer apples were harvested, 8 percent ahead of last year, with much of the crop in fair to good condition. The peach crop was 84 percent harvested, compared to 69 percent last year. Seventy-eight percent of cucumbers have been harvested, compared to 60 percent last year.

The potato crop was 26 percent harvested, which was the same as last year. Processing tomatoes were 36 percent harvested, compared to 8 percent last year.