Mid-week rain showers put a halt to most field activities, including the start of corn and soybean harvest, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Although the rainfall was much needed across the State, it will mostly benefit late planted and double crop soybeans, as well as, wheat, pastures and cover crops. Corn silage and seed corn harvest are well under way and many producers have begun both soybean and corn harvest, as well. Some very late soybeans are still green, but shorter days will hasten their leaf drop. Pastures are still looking good for this time of year despite the recent dry conditions.
There were 5.0 days suitable for field work during the week. Ninety-one percent of the corn acreage is in the dent stage compared with 99 percent last year and 91 percent for the 5-year average. Forty-seven percent of the corn acreage is mature compared with 80 percent
last year and 55 percent for the 5-year average. Six percent of the corn crop has been harvested compared with 25 percent last year and 14 percent for the 5-year average. By area 49 percent of the corn crop is mature in the north, 45 percent in the central region, and 45 percent in the south. Corn condition is rated 64 percent good to excellent compared with 11 percent last year at this time. Moisture content of harvested corn is averaging about 25 percent.
Sixty-seven percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared with 78 percent last year and 64 percent for the 5-year average. Four percent of the soybean acreage has been harvested compared to 9 percent for both last year and the 5-year average. By area 72 percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves in the north, 71 percent in the central region, and 47 percent in the south. Soybean condition is now rated 58 percent good to excellent compared with 27 percent last year. Moisture content of harvested
soybeans is averaging about 13 percent.