Major Dry Stretch Showing Up in Ft. Wayne Area Yields

It was a great start to 2020, but eight and a half weeks without rain north of Fort Wayne, Indiana took a toll on crops. In our newest Yield Check though, it is apparent that great hybrids have again come to the rescue. Luke Hesterman covers northeast Indiana as a local field sales representative for Specialty Hybrids.

“We’re on the home stretch of soybeans and even with the conditions, where there was some higher management, things done with fungicide, things are holding on,” he said. “They’re right at average or below. Five to six weeks ago the attitude out there was this crop is going to be an absolute disaster, but guys are pleasantly surprised at how it hung in there and we’re in pretty good shape really.”

Yields south of Ft. Wayne are ranging from 50-70 bushels, but, “You get to Ft. Wayne and north we’re seeing a lot of low 40’s, maybe even some 30’s and barely catching 60 north of Ft. Wayne,” he said. “Those lighter soils and dry spots took it on the chin.”

Hesterman tells HAT the vast majority of farmers are getting into the corn fields now, and moisture levels are good at 20 percent.

“They’re starting with early maturities and moving to the late ones. The late ones still have a little more moisture to them but with that heat we had last week they’ve dried down tremendously. Stalk quality is better than expected with the dry spell, so that’s definitely a positive.”

He said stalk quality will become a concern and he has been asking customers to check their crop weekly to see if any stalks are compromised.

Actual corn yields are coming in a little bit better than soybeans.

“Corn handled the drought a little bit better and a lot of that had to do with planting date, but we’re going to be closer to average. There will be some areas that are not going to be there, but the irrigated corn is extremely good.”

Those extremely good corn yields are running 240-280 bushels per acre, and in that corner of the state test weights are about average, according to Hesterman.

This yield check is brought to you by Specialty Hybrids, where it’s your field, our Specialty. Find your local field sales representative and yield results online at www.specialtyhybrids.com.