Extreme Heat Stresses Field Crops
Published: Friday, July 26, 2019
The following is from the Indiana Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending July 21.
Exceptionally high temperatures with only scattered rainfall started to impact crop development last week. The scattered showers weren't enough to counteract the high temperatures, as soil moisture levels continued to drop.
The average temperature for the week was 80.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 5.3 degrees above normal for the state.
The amount of rainfall varied from .04 to 2.99 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was 1.22 inches.
There were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork.
Corn and soybean crop development continued to run well behind schedule, with no help from last week's extreme heat.
However, the hot and dry weather helped winter wheat harvest progress catch up to the 5-year average and allowed farmers to make good progress with hay cuttings, though hay supplies remained tight in some areas.
Cattle were reported to be enjoying the rapid pasture growth but showed signs of stress due to the extreme heat.
Other activities for the week included weed control practices, sidedressing corn, detasseling seed corn and attending county fairs.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 5 percent; short, 23 percent; adequate, 61 percent; surplus, 11 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 4 percent; short, 17 percent; adequate, 68 percent; surplus, 11 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2018 and 5-year average) showed: corn, silking 23, 10, 84, 67; soybeans, emerged 96, 91, 100, 100; soybeans, blooming 21, 7, 79, 67; soybeans, setting pods 1, 0, 51, 32; winter wheat, harvested 92, 79, 97, 92; alfalfa hay, second cutting 57, 39, 88, 74; other hay, first cutting 97, 94, 100, 99; other hay, second cutting 40, 26, 71, 64.
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