Indiana and National Crop Conditions Nearly Steady

NasslogoCooler temperatures and spotty rain showers brought some relief to crops and livestock during the week, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Areas that have missed the recent rains are becoming dry forcing farmers to run irrigation systems. The cooler temperatures should be beneficial to the corn crop as a large percentage of the acreage was pollinating during the week. Crop dusters were busy applying fungicides to corn fields across the state. Harvest of winter wheat is nearly complete with only a few scattered fields remaining in northern counties.

FIELD CROPS REPORT
There were 5.8 days suitable for field work during the week. Eighty-two percent of the corn acreage has silked compared with 96 percent last year and 78 percent for the 5-year average. Corn condition declined slightly and is rated 76 percent good to excellent compared with 9 percent last year at this time. The national good to excellent rating remained steady at 63 percent.

Seventy-two percent of the soybean acreage is blooming compared with 87 percent last year and 68 percent for the 5-year average. Thirty-five percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods compared with 48 percent last year and 27 percent for the 5-year average. Soybean condition is rated 74 percent good to excellent compared with 16 percent last year at this time. National condition dropped 1 point to 63 percent good to excellent.

Major activities during the week included: cutting hay, baling straw, detasseling seed corn, applying herbicides, attending county fairs, monitoring irrigation systems, harvesting potatoes, mowing roadsides and taking care of livestock.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT
No health issues were reported with livestock during the week. Pasture condition declined and is rated 73 percent good to excellent compared with only 2 percent last year at this time. The second cutting of alfalfa is 91 percent complete compared with 100 percent last year and 88 percent for the 5-year average.

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