Rain and Cool Temperatures Try Producers Patience

Rain and Cool Temperatures Try Producers Patience

After a short planting window in which a good deal of the Indiana crop got planted, heavy rains and cold temperatures slowed early crop development.  Statewide 72 % of the corn is planted, and 33 %of the soybeans are in. But ponding in fields, hail, and below normal temperatures are producing yellow corn and worried corn growers. Brian Smith, with Seed Consultants, is urging growers to be patient, “A lot of our customers are calling in and are quite concerned, but we are telling them to be patient and let’s see what the corn looks like after we get the water off.”

Last week, overnight lows dropped into the 30s and some areas of the state received upwards of 5 inches of rain for the week. Smith expects growers in Northern Indiana to be back in the fields by mid-week and many will finish their fieldwork. He says the forecast is calling for warmer temperatures and that will bring the crop back to normal, “Most of our emerged corn is at the 2 leaf stage, nothing that some warm weather won’t help.” HAT meteorologist Rob Wasson says weather will improve as we move through the week, ” High pressure will build in on Friday and hold into the weekend.  This will give us a nice stretch of dries days and comfortable temperatures.” 

According to the latest crop update, Indiana top soil moisture is rated at 98% adequate to surplus and subsoil 90% adequate to surplus. Smith is confident we will see crop improvement in the next few weeks as the weather improves, “With warmer weather ahead of us, we hope the corn will start growing faster and the soybeans that are just beginning to emerge will also begin to take off.” According to Wasson, the extended two week forecast calls for seasonal temperatures and rainfall statewide.