Some Indiana farmers received the weekend rains and some didn’t. But for those who did, was the rain enough to make an impact? In a HAT Field Update John Hussey in central Indiana’s Tipton County says Friday and weekend rains totaling 1 ½ inches have given his crops a different look this week.
“That was the first rain we had in the month of June. We had gotten some little sprinkles periodically, but that was the first rain we had since the last day of May when we got 6 or 7 tenths. Then Friday was the first time we got any amount of measurable rain at all. So conditions were getting very critical. The soybeans looked very bad. The corn was still looking fairly good but it was starting to show stress signs very heavily.”
Hussy said the inch and a half wasn’t a lifesaver but it gives the crops a few extra days of breathing room. And he credits new genetics for the crops’ ability to handle stressful conditions better than in 1988, another year of drought. Hussey also recalls a difficult year in the mid-90’s in the full HAT Field Update.
For now though spider mites are a problem in fields near him, although “we have not sprayed anything for spider mites or any kind of insects at all. We have not sprayed any fungicides yet, but we are going to look real closely next week for fungus because of the rain that we got now that humidity is high. That’s going to fire up some of the fungus probably, or has a good opportunity to.”
Hussey reports just a few miles to the north there is heavy spraying for spider mites.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/07/Weekend-rains-help-some-Indiana-farmers.mp3|titles=Weekend rains help some Indiana farmers]
Hear more in the HAT Field Update at the Agronomy page, sponsored by Advanced Ag Solutions.