Indiana farmers have done a significant amount of catching up when it came to planting progress this past week.
So far in Indiana, 40 percent of the expected corn crop has been planted according to the USDA’s Weekly Crop Progress Report for the week ending Sunday, May 15, 2022. That’s a jump from 11 percent the week before.
This compares with 60 percent last year and 54 percent as an average over the past five years. Of the corn crop planted, only nine percent has emerged compared with 32 percent last year.
The USDA also shows that 28 percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted at this time, which is a jump from seven percent the week before. This compares with 48 percent planted in 2021 and 37 percent over the past five-year average. Of the soybeans planted, four percent have emerged compared with 21 percent in 2021.
The report shows that there were 5.4 suitable days for fieldwork this past week compared to 2.1 suitable days the week before.
Hot and mostly dry weather delivered ideal conditions for fieldwork last week, according to Nathanial Warenski, State Statistician with the Indiana Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Soil moisture levels decreased from the previous week, with 96 percent of topsoil moisture reported as adequate or surplus. The average temperature for the week was 71.7 degrees Fahrenheit, 10.8 degrees above normal for the State. The amount of rainfall varied from none to 2.80 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was 0.35 inches, 0.59 inches below normal.
Favorable weather last week allowed farmers to make significant progress with corn and soybean planting, while the warm temperatures aided crop emergence. Winter wheat development progressed steadily, and crop conditions improved slightly from the previous week.
Livestock were reported to be in good condition, enjoying the warm weather and rapid pasture growth. Other activities for the week included tillage and spraying herbicides and fungicides.
Source: USDA Crop Progress Report, May 16, 2022.
