Cold Temperatures Delay Planting
Published: Friday, April 30, 2021
The following is from the Indiana Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending April 25.
Cold temperatures and midweek precipitation slowed planting progress and crop emergence last week. Soil moisture levels were relatively unchanged from the previous week, with 83 percent of topsoil moisture reported as adequate or surplus.
The average temperature for the week was 45.3 degrees F, 9.3 degrees below normal.
The amount of rainfall varied from .08 to .90 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was .56 inches.
There were 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork.
Unseasonably low temperatures and snowfall in some areas kept planters out of the fields last week.
Corn and soybean planting both fell behind last year's progression but remained ahead of the five-year average.
Winter wheat conditions remained stable, though the low temperatures caused concerns of potential frost damage.
The percent of winter wheat jointing remained slightly ahead of the five-year average. Livestock were reported in good condition.
Other activities for the week included tillage, fertilizer and herbicide applications and transplanting vegetable crops.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 2 percent; short, 15 percent; adequate, 73 percent; surplus, 10 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 4 percent; short, 19 percent; adequate, 71 percent; surplus, 6 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2020 and 5-year average) showed: corn planted, 14, 7, 16, 12; corn emerged, 2, 0, 1, 1; soybeans planted, 9, 4, 10, 4; winter wheat jointing, 53, 42, 40, 51.
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