On Time Harvest Expected in Indiana Crops
With a cooler than normal summer, there had been concerns that the corn crop would be slow to mature. Extension corn specialist Dr. Bob Nielsen says that is not the case, “We are looking at a crop that is — amazingly — not behind schedule, even though it has been a cool summer.” He told HAT that the forecast for the next six weeks does not call for warmer than normal trends, so the crop should finish well and finish on time. Nielsen believes the concern is not for an early frost but for what kind of field drying conditions we will have this fall, “We should mature the corn crop in Indiana around the 3rd week in September, and that is well ahead of any normal frost date. The bigger concern is what will the drying conditions be like.” With such a large crop, farmers would face enormous expense in artificially drying that much grain.
Soybean specialist Shaun Casteel says the soybean harvest should also be on time, “At this point in time, what we are looking for is for the soybeans to develop the few pods that are left and then retain them.” He feels the crop will be able to accomplish this and finish well. Casteel says soybean yields may not be a record breaker, but should be very good, “I think we have a great opportunity to get large beans, but not likely a record number of pods.”