Wet and cool fall weather set in last week with below average temperatures statewide and above average precipitation in the central and southern parts of Indiana, according to the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Field Office in USDA’s Crop Progress Report. Soil moisture levels increased significantly from the previous week, with 75 percent of topsoil moisture reported as adequate or surplus.
The average temperature for the week was 44.0 degrees Fahrenheit, 7.3 degrees below normal for the State. The amount of rainfall varied from none to 4.98 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was 1.62 inches. There were 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending November 1.
Rains swept through the central and southern portions of the State delaying corn and soybean harvest in some areas. Both the corn and soybean harvests ended the week right around their five-year averages at 73 percent and 87 percent complete, respectively. The above average rainfall benefitted winter wheat, with crop conditions improving slightly from the previous week, and crop emergence kept pace with the five-year average. Livestock were doing well overall. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, soil testing, hauling grain and hay, and cleaning harvest equipment