Heavy rain showers kept many farmers out of the fields, according to Greg Matli, Indiana State Statistician for the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The less than desirable weather conditions were experienced throughout the state. Average temperatures were 50.7 degrees, 3.8 degrees above normal for the state. The amounts of rainfall varied from 0.43 inches to 2.35 inches over the week. There were 2.0 days available for fieldwork for the week ending April 2.
Some areas had slight flooding following a thunderstorm, leaving standing water in fields. On average, winter wheat was reported in good to excellent conditions with some reports of light damage due to winter conditions. Pastures were left in sloppy condition, however livestock were reported on average to be in good condition. Activities for the week included purchasing seed, fertilizer and chemicals, preparing farm equipment for the spring planting season, cleaning fence rows and road side ditches, spring tillage, applying nitrogen to wheat, hauling crops to elevators, and enrollment in the ARC/PLC program.
This is the first weekly crop and weather report for the 2017 season. A series of weekly crop progress reports will be published each Monday at 4:00 p.m. EST throughout the crop season.
These reports will cover planting and harvesting activities, crop development, weather data, and timely crop management information provided by farmers, USDA, and Purdue University experts. For the earliest possible access, look for these reports on the internet shortly after the 4:00 P.M. release time.
Soil Moisture