Planting Delays Likely in Eastern Indiana
April showers are in the forecast for the next 10 days over much of the state, and the planting window does not look like it is going to open any time soon. Rain coverage has been plentiful across much of the state, but East Central Indiana has been especially hard hit. According to Pioneer agronomist Eric Miller, “Most parts of East Central Indiana have had 2 inches of rain in the past two weeks, and some areas upwards of 3 inches.” He added the forecast for the next 10 days shows no break in the chance of rain.
Miller says very little fieldwork got done in March which means growers still have a lot to do before the planters can roll, “Not much anhydrous has been applied or burndown programs started.” He said cover crops are also getting taller and burndown may be a challenge if the rain continues for several more weeks. “Growers will need to check on the height of their winter annual weeds so they have the right tank mix when they finally get a chance to get into the fields,” Miller said.
At this point, the forecast does not look good for an extended period of dry weather to get planting started. Thus, Miller urges growers to make a plan for a stop and start planting season, “Know what fields are likely to dry out first and that you should wait 7-10 days after anhydrous application before you plant.” He said to have a plan, but to be flexible to adjust to the changing weather conditions and forecast.
Listen to the complete agronomy update with Eric Miller on the crops tab of this website.