While corn yields are disappointing around the state, soybean yields are coming in close to average in Southern Indiana. With the corn harvest past the halfway mark in most southern Indiana counties, many growers are starting on their soybeans. Darren Goebel, field agronomist with DuPont Pioneer, says soybean yields are holding up well despite the worst drought in decades, “We have a lot of our soybean fields averaging around 50 to 60 bpa.” He says the soybeans were able to handle the drought and heat stress of this summer better than other crops.
Many growers in southern areas gave up on the corn crop in late June and planted a crop of soybeans in those fields in July, hoping to get some kind of yield. Goebel told HAT many of these fields are looking good and may produce a crop, “I have checked on some of those fields, and they are producing pods.” He said the key will be will if the frost stay away long enough. A light frost dusted the area last week but did not do any damage. Goebel says these late planted soybean fields need several more weeks to finish, “The yields are not going to be fantastic; but, with higher prices, even a small yields will produce some income.”
As for corn, soil type is a big factor in determining which fields have yields and which don’t, “There are some areas of the south that have some very deep Ragsdale soils, around the Princeton area, where we have corn yields of 180 – 200 bpa.”
With the corn coming off early, some growers are planting wheat which Goebel says may be a mistake, “I am really cautioning folks to hold off and not plant the wheat too early. We have seen some wheat get planted, and that is going to lead to a lot of rank growth.” He added there is a lot of nitrogen still in the soil and that may cause the wheat to develop too quickly this fall.
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Listen to the complete report from Darren Goebel here, or on the Pioneer Agronomy page on the Hoosier Ag Today Smartpone app.