In a year when the irrigators ran more than they ever have, recent rains in northwest Indiana have given them a break, but more importantly have provided some renewed hope for a decent crop. In a HAT Field Update from his Jasper County farm, Mark Kingma said the Monday morning total was around an inch.
“So it was a nice rain that will help some soybeans,” he said. “Our soybeans still have a lot of green in them, so it will help finish up our soybeans and help corn that isn’t fully black layered. Maybe it will add just a little more test weight because I’m hearing corn is a little light this year.”
Kingma says soybean harvest is still six weeks away and some corn won’t be ready for harvest for another month. But the first trip to the field to pick corn could come as soon as this week.
“The dairy farms up here are wanting some high moisture corn, 30 to 35 percent, and we have some that black layered last week, so it should be in that neighborhood. They’ll be ready for it by mid week and then it’s up to me whether I start rolling or not. But we have a few that are black layered and with the heat that they’re talking a couple weeks after that when we get into the mid 20’s we’ll start running a little bit and get our drying running. But within 10 days I think we’ll be picking quite a bit and possibly a few loads yet this week.”
And by Labor Day or shortly thereafter he expects to see combines in the fields of neighboring farms too. Kingma is also hearing some reports of very good corn to his north in Porter County. Hear more in the HAT Field Update at the Agronomy page, sponsored by Advanced Ag Solutions.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/08/Northwest-Indiana-corn-not-too-bad.mp3|titles=Northwest Indiana corn not too bad]