in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 3, 2009 IN-CW050409 AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY Another week of rainy days has left saturated soils across the state, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Farmers were very busy until rain came Monday evening and the rains continued every day through Friday in many areas. Planting of corn is about 10 days behind last year and 18 days behind the average pace. Spraying and tillage work are also at a standstill as farmers anxiously await better weather conditions. Winter wheat, hay and pastures have shown great improvements in the last several days. FIELD CROPS REPORT There were 1.5 days suitable for field work during the week. Five percent of the intended corn acreage has been planted compared with 32 percent last year and 47 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 4 percent has been planted in the north, 4 percent in the central region, and 8 percent in the south. Only a minimal amount of soybeans have been planted at this time. Sixty-two percent of the winter wheat acreage is jointed compared with 67 percent last year and 77 percent for the 5-year average. Winter wheat condition is rated 79 percent good to excellent compared with 68 percent last year at this time. Major activities during the week included: hauling grain to market, mowing roadsides and ditches, preparing planting and tillage equipment, and taking care of livestock. LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT Pasture condition is rated 22 percent excellent, 57 percent good, 18 percent fair, 2 percent poor, and 1 percent very poor. Pastures have shown good growth with all the recent moisture. Livestock remain in mostly good condition. Crop Progress Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 5 2 32 47 Winter Wheat Jointed 62 45 67 77 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------------- Percent Pasture 2 4 25 56 13 Winter Wheat 1 2 18 57 22 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table ---------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : ---------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 0 0 0 Short 0 1 3 Adequate 33 56 75 Surplus 67 43 22 Subsoil Very Short 0 1 0 Short 1 2 2 Adequate 51 67 70 Surplus 48 30 28 Days Suitable 1.5 2.0 4.8 Contact Information --Greg Preston, Director --Andy Higgins, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Agricultural Comments And News LATE PLANTING & RELATIVE HYBRID MATURITY DECISIONS Published 28 Apr 2009 * Corn planting is off to a slow start in Indiana. * Don't worry about switching to earlier hybrids until late May. until late May. * Use your best judgement as to when to begin pestering your seed dealers. Indiana's corn planting progress is barely on the "radar screen" as of April 26 (USDA-NASS, 27 Apr 2009) as a result of frequent rains that have prevented soils from drying enough to allow for spring tillage and planting. The pace of planting, at the moment, is slower than the extremely slow planting season of 2002 (See Fig. 1 at http://www.agry .purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.09/DelayedPlt_Hybrids-0428.html, page 3). Some of the locals who frequent the Chat'n Chew Café are beginning to question when they should consider replacing their full-season corn hybrids with shorter-season versions. They worry that, after some point on the calendar, full-season hybrids may not mature safely before the first killing fall frost. After all, they argue, hybrid maturity ratings are closely associated with the accumulation of Growing Degree Days (GDDs) after planting (Fig. 2) and there are only so many GDDs available in a given growing season prior to killing fall frosts. Fortunately, we know from previous research (Nielsen et al., 2002) that corn hybrids reduce their GDD needs as planting is delayed. This means that late-planted hybrids mature in fewer than expected GDDs from planting. The number of GDDs required from planting to physiological maturity in corn decreases nearly 7 GDDs per day of delayed planting after May 1. For example, a hybrid planted June 1 will mature approximately 210 GDDs sooner than it would if planted May 1 (30 days times 7 GDDs per day of delayed planting). The bottom line from this research is that a given hybrid maturity can be planted later than we once thought possible and still mature safely before a killing fall frost. Nevertheless, at some point on the calendar, growers eventually need to consider switching to earlier maturity hybrids to minimize the risk of frost damage in the fall. The tables that follow summarize the delayed planting effect on hybrid GDD requirements and present the results in terms of "safe" hybrid maturities for a range of delayed planting dates (see Nielsen & Thomison, 2003, for more information). Both tables assume "normal" GDD accumulations for the remainder of the growing season and a fall frost date that is based on a 50% risk of frost occurring by a given date for individual crop reporting districts around the state (Indiana State Climate Office, http://iclimate.org). Table 1 targets physiological maturity occurring the same week that a killing frost is expected to occur. Table 2 targets physiological maturity occurring the week before a killing frost is expected to occur. The "safe" hybrid maturities listed in Table 2, therefore, are a bit less risky relative to maturation and killing fall frosts. The hybrid maturities listed in the tables are described in terms of "CRM" or comparative relative maturity ratings as defined by Pioneer Hi-Bred (2008). Pioneer publishes relative maturity data for hybrids in terms of both CRM ratings and GDDs from planting to physiological maturity. Such data can be used to define the relationship between CRM ratings and GDD requirements (Fig. 2). That relationship coupled with our previous research on the effects of delayed planting on GDD requirements allow me to estimate "safe" hybrid maturities for a range of planting dates (Tables 1 & 2). DISCLAIMER: I am NOT suggesting that Pioneer hybrid maturity definitions are the industry standard. Nor am I promoting Pioneer hybrids. I work with Pioneer's hybrid maturity data because a) many farmers and consultants can relate to Pioneer hybrid maturity ratings and b) I cannot easily find similar on-line datasets for the complete hybrid lineup for any other major seed corn supplier. BOTTOM LINE: The good news is that growers in the central and westcentral Indiana plus the entire southern third of Indiana could continue to plant full-season hybrid maturities through at least the end of May. Growers in the northern third of the state and eastcentral Indiana who routinely "push the limits" of adapted hybrid maturity may want to consider switching to something less than 110 day hybrids before the end of May. In addition to managing the risk of not maturing prior to a killing fall frost, the eventual agronomic decision to switch to earlier maturity hybrids with delayed planting should result in drier grain at harvest (approximately one-half percentage point of grain moisture difference per "day" difference in hybrid relative maturity) and thus lower grain drying costs and less risk of low test weight grain. RELATED REFERENCES National Weather Service. 2008. Precipitation Analysis. [On-line]. Available at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/rfcshare/precip_analysis_new.php. [URL accessed 5/11/08]. Nielsen, R.L. (Bob). 2008. Heat Unit Concepts Related to Corn Development. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/HeatUnits.html. [URL accessed 4/28/09]. Nielsen, R.L. (Bob). 2009. Corn Planting Date is Important, But..... Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-line]. Available at http://www .kingcorn.org/news/timeless/PltDateCornYld.html. [URL accessed 4/28/09]. Nielsen, R.L. (Bob) and Peter Thomison. 2003. Delayed Planting & Hybrid Maturity Decisions. Purdue Univ. Cooperative Extension Publication AY-312-W. [On-line]. Available at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/pubs/ AY-312-W.pdf [URL accessed 4/28/09]. Nielsen, Robert L., Peter R. Thomison, Gregory A. Brown, Anthony L. Halter, Jason Wells, and Kirby L. Wuethrich. 2002. Delayed Planting Effects on Flowering and Grain Maturation of Dent Corn. Agron. J. 94:549-558. Pioneer Hi-Bred. 2008. Pioneer® Brand Products. [On-line]. Available at https://www.pioneer.com/growingpoint/product_info/catalog/PrdSelection .jsp [URL accessed 4/28/09] [NOTE: The Pioneer GrowingPoint Web site requires a login; either as a current Pioneer customer or as a guest. After you've completed the Web site registration process you will be routed to the "Search Products & Traits" Web page. From here, select "Corn grain" from the "Product Line" dropdown menu and click "Enter".] USDA-NASS. 2009. Indiana Crop & Weather Report (27 May 2009). Indiana office of USDA's National Ag. Statistics Service. [On-line]. Available at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana/Publications /Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2009/wc042609.pdf [URL accessed 4/27/09]. R.L. (Bob) Nielsen, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054. In order to view the various charts associated with this article, go to: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/ articles.09/DelayedPlt_Hybrids-0428.html, pages 3 - 5. Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.09 /DelayedPlt_Hybrids-0428.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The INDIANA CROP & WEATHER REPORT (USPS 675-770), (ISSN 0442-817X) is issued weekly April through November by the USDA, NASS, Indiana Field Office, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite 110, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. For information on subscribing, send request to above address. POSTMASTER: Send address change to the USDA, NASS, Indiana Field Office, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite 110, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday May 3, 2009 ----------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|------------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN| Total|Days |Temp ----------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) Chalmers_5W 83 43 60 +4 1.13 4 Francesville 82 43 58 +4 0.70 3 Valparaiso_AP_I 83 40 57 +4 0.93 4 Wanatah 84 37 55 +3 1.20 3 58 Winamac 83 43 58 +4 0.97 5 57 North Central (2) Plymouth 82 42 58 +3 1.40 6 South_Bend 83 41 58 +5 1.21 4 Young_America 80 44 59 +5 1.54 4 Northeast (3) Fort_Wayne 83 41 60 +6 0.85 5 Kendallville 84 41 60 +7 0.96 5 West Central (4) Greencastle 84 46 64 +6 3.54 5 Perrysville 85 45 63 +7 1.82 5 60 Spencer_Ag 83 47 65 +10 2.65 5 Terre_Haute_AFB 84 46 67 +10 3.06 5 W_Lafayette_6NW 87 43 61 +6 1.59 5 63 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 84 47 65 +8 2.65 5 Greenfield 83 44 63 +7 3.46 6 Indianapolis_AP 84 45 65 +9 2.95 4 Indianapolis_SE 84 42 63 +7 2.16 5 Tipton_Ag 84 44 61 +8 2.85 5 65 East Central (6) Farmland 84 41 61 +7 2.56 5 61 New_Castle 84 44 62 +8 2.93 4 Southwest (7) Evansville 85 51 69 +9 2.46 6 Freelandville 83 48 66 +9 1.68 5 Shoals_8S 84 47 66 +9 3.06 4 Stendal 85 51 68 +10 2.83 6 Vincennes_5NE 84 49 68 +10 2.16 6 71 South Central (8) Leavenworth 85 50 67 +9 1.84 5 Oolitic 83 46 66 +10 1.74 5 65 Tell_City 85 51 67 +8 2.28 5 Southeast (9) Brookville 88 48 66 +11 1.82 4 Greensburg 88 48 67 +11 2.18 5 Seymour 86 47 66 +9 2.56 6 ----------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday May 3, 2009 ------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2009 thru Station | May 3, 2009 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W | 5.31 +1.29 15 130 -10 Francesville | 4.46 +0.42 15 111 +2 Valparaiso_AP_I | 4.39 +0.04 13 124 +22 Wanatah | 4.70 +0.53 14 80 +0 Winamac | 4.69 +0.65 17 115 +6 North Central(2)| Plymouth | 5.28 +1.02 19 113 -6 South_Bend | 4.21 +0.06 15 135 +44 Young_America | 4.89 +1.06 14 145 +40 Northeast (3) | Fort_Wayne | 6.02 +2.31 15 157 +59 Kendallville | 3.84 +0.22 17 143 +49 West Central (4)| Greencastle | 8.77 +4.62 17 180 +21 Perrysville | 6.55 +2.29 15 177 +46 Spencer_Ag | 8.10 +3.64 18 186 +49 Terre_Haute_AFB | 7.72 +3.41 14 241 +81 W_Lafayette_6NW | 6.63 +2.53 18 155 +45 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP | 7.40 +3.31 18 208 +59 Greenfield | 8.52 +4.08 18 158 +34 Indianapolis_AP | 7.78 +3.69 15 227 +78 Indianapolis_SE | 7.75 +3.58 17 171 +34 Tipton_Ag | 8.38 +4.10 17 142 +52 East Central (6)| Farmland | 6.89 +2.96 17 152 +68 New_Castle | 6.71 +2.22 14 148 +59 Southwest (7) | Evansville | 6.74 +2.27 16 293 +51 Freelandville | 7.78 +3.45 17 219 +41 Shoals_8S | 8.86 +4.28 16 205 +30 Stendal | 8.97 +4.05 17 292 +87 Vincennes_5NE | 7.64 +3.31 16 226 +48 South Central(8)| Leavenworth | 6.28 +1.25 18 246 +66 Oolitic | 6.59 +2.14 18 202 +51 Tell_City | 6.73 +1.44 13 264 +47 Southeast (9) | Brookville | 5.41 +1.14 16 201 +85 Greensburg | 6.06 +1.54 17 218 +79 Seymour | 6.43 +2.10 17 190 +35 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2009: Agricultural Weather Information Service, Inc. All rights reserved. DFN = Departure From Normal GDD = Growing Degree Days. Precipitation (Rainfall or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of .01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. For more weather inrformation, visit www.awis.com or call 1-888-798-9955.