In the first of our growing season updates with Channel Seeds, a look at northwest Indiana planting progress reveals slow progress as farmers wait on Mother Nature to give them the necessary planting windows.
“It’s hit or miss but overall, we’re pretty far behind up here compared to normal,” says Jeff Lakin, Technical Agronomist with Channel Seeds.
There has been more planting in the southern part of his territory, south of US 24 and closer to Lafayette.
“There’s been some activity down there that we had some guys that were able to get in the first part of April and got some corn in the ground, and that stuff’s actually coming through and looking pretty good so far. But as you move further north to the northwest corner of the state, Jasper, Newton, Lake and Porter County, it’s pretty slow. We’ve had some activity over the weekend but it’s really hit or miss. The well-tiled field or sandier ground that guys were able to get on, they were getting some stuff planted. But we’ve got some guys that haven’t spun a wheel yet, and then we got some guys that are moving right along.”
Lakin says ground temperatures are good but there is just too much water, and that problem extends into eastern Indiana too. He told HAT farmers have mostly been patient, as they need to be until the ground is ready.
“Guys are waiting but there has definitely been some stuff going in the ground that was probably questionable. We’re going to have to watch that stuff, make sure that it gets out of the ground and then we’re also going to be watching it for seedling diseases and some root diseases later, especially the stuff that was dry on top and wet underneath that got planted into.”
Those possible seedling diseases are his #1 fear right now. Hear more on that in the full HAT and Channel Seeds update:
