Rain Boosts Ind. Crop Conditions
Published: Friday, August 9, 2024
The following is from the Indiana Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Aug. 4.
Additional rainfall maintained adequate soil moisture for crop development. Topsoil moisture levels increased from the previous week, with 79% rated adequate or surplus.
The average temperature for the week was 77.3 degrees F, 4 degrees above normal.
The statewide average precipitation was 1.54 inches, .67 inches above normal.
There were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork.
Continued rainfall ensured that most crops received sufficient precipitation, with farmers reporting disease and aphid pressures were now their biggest issues. However, some fields experienced ponding while isolated portions of the state remained abnormally dry.
Despite these concerns, corn and soybean crop conditions remained stable.
Corn silking and soybean blooming progress both continued ahead of their respective five-year averages.
The second cutting of alfalfa was nearing completion, slightly ahead of normal while the second cutting of other hay was two-thirds complete, 10 points behind the five-year average.
Other activities included fungicide treatments, mowing field edges and preparing harvest machinery.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn silking, 89, 81, 87, 85; corn dough, 40, 26, 35, 34; corn dented, 2, 0, 0, 1; soybeans blooming, 86, 79, 82, 79; soybeans setting pods, 60, 48, 52, 48; alfalfa hay, second cutting, 92, 86, 90, 90; alfalfa hay, third cutting, 24, 15, 26, 26; other hay, second cutting, 66, 60, 76, 76; other hay, third cutting, 12, 7, 13, 13.
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