A sweep of crops across central Indiana shows plenty of variability in planted fields, from replanted fields where the crop hasn’t even emerged to some very nice looking corn and soybeans. In east central Indiana the need to replant has been common this year as the elements have taken their toll, according to Hancock County farmer Ronnie Mohr.
“We’ve put this whole crop, beans and corn through some pretty tough stresses already. We got a good bit planted but then came the cold, really extreme wet weather. That went away and then it got dry. We had some pretty nasty looking corn.”
He told HAT everything that has been planted, including about a hundred acres of replanted corn, is now out of the ground. All things considered when Mohr looks at the crops he feels fortunate, but now there is concern about nitrogen levels.
“We’re pre-plant anhydrous,” he explained, “so with the rains we had we aren’t sure where we are on nitrogen. We don’t think we’ll be hurting but that’s always a concern if you’re pre-plant.”
Elaine Gillis farms in Delaware, Blackford and Jay Counties, and after a very interesting spring they are pretty happy with the emerging crops.
“We did have a few fields of corn in our own operation that we did to go back and replant, some of those lower areas affected by the rainfall that we had. It was very heavy rain that 
didn’t get off as fast as we would have liked, and there were some cooler temperatures that impacted that emergence. So a few fields of replant but right now things really do look good and we’re getting some consistent stands across both corn and soybeans.”
She told HAT they’ll be keeping a close eye out for insects in the coming days. When HAT visited the Dave Lowe farm in Jay County Friday he said, “We still have 125 acres of beans to plant. It’s been extremely wet. We get a week of 3 days running and then it rains an inch to inch and a half again.”
He would like to get going with sidedressing the corn crop and other post applications, but the issue of muddy fields persists.
“Obviously we don’t need hip boots out here today but it’s too wet to get equipment across the field.”