This week’s Indiana corn and soybean crop ratings landed in the 72 percent good to excellent range, and central Indiana ranks the best for crop condition. One of those farmers, Mike Cline in Tipton County rates most of his corn and beans good to excellent, but he told HAT there is some variability in the corn condition.
“There was a period of time there toward the third week of April where some of the corn that was planted had some emergence problems,” he explained. “Several of us went back in and spotted in some areas. Not too many people replanted whole fields but there were some areas that were thinned, had emergence problems, but corn planted two weeks after that looks really good. Some of that earlier corn is just starting to shoot some tassels here in the last couple of days.”
Cline is not looking at the best stands he’s ever had, but in both in corn and beans they are very acceptable. The crops have benefited recently from timely rains but he is ready for that to shut off for now.
“Just prior to the last rains in the last week or two corn had begun to roll, so it was extremely dry and we were glad to have this moisture. Now do we have excess moisture? No we really don’t. Currently we’re in good condition, but we’re ready to get the heat going and stop the rain for a little bit to kind of finish up spraying and so forth in our soybeans.”
Cline says marestail can be found in his area and waterhemp has popped up after a several year absence.
“People that used 2,4-D early in their burndown kind of got things under control,” he said. “There aren’t too many train wrecks out there but overall things are pretty decent as far as weed control, but it’s time to get some spraying wrapped up, that’s for sure.”
Unfortunately HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin doesn’t have a dry period beginning across the state until Saturday.