Planting Progress Picking Up in Indiana and Across the Corn Belt

The USDA says 15% of the corn has been planted in Indiana. Mary Gumz, who covers NW Indiana for DuPont Pioneer, says there has been a good deal of fieldwork taking place in the past few days, “We have seen a good deal of fieldwork being done in my area. In the southern areas, we are about 25% planted on corn; slightly less in northern areas because they got a later start.” The USDA reported that, nationally, corn planting was 17% complete.

As HAT has been reporting the past few weeks, weeds have gotten a good start in many fields. Thus, a good burndown is needed before planters can roll. Gumz says, “You want to make sure you get good coverage and a good burndown so you can start with a clean field.” She added another issue is making sure your cover crops are terminated in a timely manner, “We are seeing heavier pressure of fall armyworms this year. If you have a grass cover crop that is still green, that will be an attraction for fall army words.” She said that you want to make sure your cover crop is dead for about a week before you start planting, “This will starve out the worms and give you a better seed bed and planting conditions.”

Gumz urges growers to take their time when making the decision to plant, “We are still early in the corn planting window. It is better to wait for optimal planting conditions.”