Crops Setting up Well for Harvest
Rain came to Indiana in August, sometimes bringing severe weather and flooding with it. However, for most areas, the moisture will help the corn and soybeans finish well. According to Brian Early with DuPont Pioneer, “The rain will certainly help the soybeans finish well; and, while the rain will not help the corn much, the heat we have had will help the later planted corn catch up.” Statewide average temperature was 74.3 degrees, above normal by 1.7 degrees. Statewide precipitation was 1.14 inches, above normal by 0.34 inches. There were 3.7 days available for fieldwork for the week ending August 28, up 0.9 days from the previous week.
One issue that has plagued soybean fields this year is weed escapes and that could cause some harvest challenges, “The difference we have seen is that those growers who did not use a pre-emergence program had more weed issues, especially in soybeans.” Early says this has been a big topic of discussion at field days he has attended this month.
Early says the crop is setting up nicely for harvest, “We are accumulating a lot of heat units here in August and that will help us dry down this crop nicely in September.” According to the latest USDA crop update, 84% of Indiana corn in in the dough stage with 44% in the dent stage. Corn dough was 95% in the North, 95% in Central, and 94% in the South. Corn dented was 60% in the North, 64% in Central, and 60% in the South.
Eighty-nine percent of the soybeans are setting pods statewide. By region, soybeans setting pods were 95% complete in the North, 94% in Central, and 92% in the South. Soybeans dropping leaves has started. Soybeans dropping leaves were 3% complete in the North, 9% in Central, and 3% in the South.