News

Weather provides slight bump to crop conditions

Last week’s sunshine and warm temperatures were welcomed in Indiana.  The more seasonal weather helped dry out saturated fields and improve some corn and soybean crops.

According to USDA’s latest weekly Crop and Weather report – 46 percent of the corn crop and 41 percent of soybeans are rated good to excellent.

While sunshine and warm temperatures did improve the state’s crop conditions slightly, it also makes conditions prime for disease.

Casey Reckelhoff a farmer and crop consultant with Crop Production Services says farmers need to be proactive and scout their fields.  “I was in a field and we spotted five different diseases in that one field,” he says.  “Anywhere from your northern leaf blight to grey leaf spot from that to anthracnose in corn to even some rust.”

He says some farmers may need to consider fungicides this year.  “With the crop loss we’ve already experienced in the bottoms, it is probably best to go out and at least try and protect what you have,” he says.

In other crops around the state – 91 percent of the winter wheat has been harvested.  Harvest is also underway for some of the state’s specialty crops like mint, cantaloupe, and watermelon and 65 percent of the second cutting of alfalfa hay is complete.