in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 17, 2009 IN-CW051809 AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY Farmers were making considerable progress early in the week until rains arrived on Wednesday, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Heavy rains Wednesday and Friday caused flooding in low lying areas. Some corn and soybean acreage will need to be re-planted. Planting progress of corn is about 16 days later than last year and 21 days behind the average pace while planting of soybeans is about 14 days later than last year and 20 days behind the 5-year average. Some damage has been reported to the wheat crop due to wind and standing water. Fungicides are being applied to wheat fields in southern counties. Light frost was reported in many counties with minimal damage expected. FIELD CROPS REPORT There were 1.7 days suitable for field work during the week. Twenty -four percent of the intended corn acreage has been planted compared with 67 percent last year and 83 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 43 percent has been planted in the north, 12 percent in the central region, and 8 percent in the south. Eight percent of the corn crop has emerged compared with 33 percent last year and 52 percent for the 5-year average. Six percent of the intended soybean acreage has been planted compared with 22 percent last year and 49 percent for the 5-year average. Thirty-nine percent of the winter wheat is headed compared with 33 percent last year and 51 percent for the 5-year average. Winter wheat condition is rated 77 percent good to excellent compared with 73 percent last year at this time. LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT Pasture condition is rated 76 percent good to excellent. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Feedlots and pastures remain very muddy. Crop Progress Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 24 11 67 83 Corn Emerged 8 2 33 52 Soybeans Planted 6 2 22 49 Winter Wheat Jointed 92 82 97 98 Winter Wheat Headed 39 15 33 51 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------------- Percent Pasture 1 4 19 52 24 Winter Wheat 1 3 19 58 19 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table ---------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : ---------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 0 0 0 Short 0 0 0 Adequate 27 38 37 Surplus 73 62 63 Subsoil Very Short 0 0 0 Short 1 1 0 Adequate 43 53 49 Surplus 56 46 51 Days Suitable 1.7 1.6 1.0 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 EINSTEIN’S THEORY OF RELATIVITY AS IT APPLIES TO SOIL MOISTURE Published 12 May 2009 The good news is that Monday's USDA-NASS report showed that Indiana's corn planting progress (the chart showing corn planting progress over select years, can be viewed at: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/ news/articles.09/LatePlanting-0512.html) had caught up to that of the same time period in 2002. The bad news is that the 2002 planting season was one of the slowest in recent history. With a forecast of more rain throughout the state the middle of this week, let me offer a contrarian view about soil moisture and planting. The superintendent of our Purdue Agronomy Farm and I share a laugh every planting season when it comes to deciding when the soil is "fit" to work or plant. We scuff around the fields in mid-April, dig a few spadefuls of soil, squeeze the soil into a ball like the soil scientists tell us to do, and then agree that the soil is too wet to work or plant. Around the first of May, we scuff around the fields, dig a few spadefuls of soil, squeeze the soil into a ball like the soil scientists tell us to do, and then agree that the soil is too wet to work or plant. Again in mid-May, we scuff around the fields, dig a few spadefuls of soil, squeeze the soil into a ball like the soil scientists tell us to do, and then agree that the soil is maybe just about right to work or plant, but we'll give it a few more days. By late May, we scuff around the fields, dig a few spadefuls of soil, squeeze the soil into a ball like the soil scientists tell us to do, and then agree that the soil is just as wet as it was back in mid-April, but maybe we ought to be working ground and planting anyway. Einstein was right............it's all about relativity. The point of my sharing this annual ritual with you is that we are rapidly approaching the point in the planting season where we need to "fish or cut bait". Yes, there are risks of working ground too wet or planting "on the wet side" (see additional articles at: URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.09/LatePlanting-0512.htm), but there are also risks of waiting so long for the soil to become "fit" to begin planting that the majority of your corn ground gets planted way too late. Heaven forbid that I should recommend anyone to work ground or plant corn in soils that are wet enough to cause severe compaction that will haunt you later this summer. But, you know, when you decide back in mid-April to wait, you've got quite a bit of good planting season left to go. When you decide in mid-May to wait AND you have a lot of acres to cover, what you save by avoiding some soil compaction now may be less than what you risk by planting the bulk of your corn acres very, very late. If you concur with these thoughts, "mud in" your corn, and suffer serious yield losses; you did not hear it from me. If you "pull the trigger" now and successfully avoid planting the bulk of your corn in mid-June and win the yield jackpot; then I'll accept all the credit. There are no black & white answers to this situation, there are no silver bullets, and there are no certainties in farming. Use your best judgement in deciding when to head back to the fields over the coming days and/or weeks. You know your fields and soils better than anyone else. Related References Duiker, Sjoerd. 2009. Planting into wet soil? Field Crop News, Pennsylvania State Univ. [online] Available at http://fcn .agronomy.psu.edu/2009/fcn0907.cfm#h. [URL accessed 5/11/09] Graybill, Jeff. 2009. Should I Be "Mudding in" My Corn?. Field Crop News, Pennsylvania State Univ. [online] Available at http://fcn .agronomy.psu.edu/2009/fcn0909 .cfm#g. [URL accessed 5/11/09] Murdock, Lloyd. 2009. Avoiding Sidewall Compacting During Late Corn Planting. Corn and Soybean Newsletter. Univ of Kentucky. [online] Available at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CornSoy/cornsoy9_4.htm#2 [URL accessed 5/11/09] Thelen, Kurt. 2009. Exercise patience in deciding when to commence field operations. Field Crop Advisory Team Alert. Michigan State Univ. [online] Available at http://www.ipmnews.msu.edu/fieldcrop/fieldcrop/ tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/176/Exercise-patience-in- deciding-when-to-commence-field-operations.aspx. [URL accessed 5/11/09] R.L. (Bob) Nielsen, Agronomy Dept., Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054. Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu, URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.09 /LatePlanting-0512.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPRING PASTURES CAN BRING BLOAT Spring time is here and pastures are growing quickly. With this new lush growth also comes an increased concern for bloat. Bloat typically occurs on young fast growing pastures that have more than 50 percent legumes (clover, alfalfa, etc.). Bloat is simply a condition brought on due to excess protein in the rumen which creates foam that will not allow gasses to escape the rumen. This condition leads to excess pressure in the cattle’s rumen and in worst cases can lead to death. Bloat can be a major problem on lush spring pastures, however it can be managed. The first step in managing bloat is to identify your pastures containing more than 50 percent legumes. These pastures will contain high protein levels especially in the spring when all of the growth is new and lush. Identify your pastures that are most likely to be a problem and use extra caution when animals are on those pastures. If all of your pastures contain high portions of legumes you want to take special care to give animals time to get used to the pastures early in the spring. Management strategies such as feeding a grass hay prior to the grazing period and not allowing access to pastures when excess moisture is present due to rain or heavy dew will help minimize the occurrence of bloat. Over-eating frequently occurs when hungry cattle are turned onto fresh pastures with high percentage of legumes. Bloat is probable if these animals have not been accustomed to the legume mixture. Feeding grass hay prior to grazing allows the cattle to fill the rumen with a lower protein feed and will decrease the occurrence of over eating and thus minimizes the risk of bloat. Continue to feed hay prior to grazing for 5-6 days. During this time decrease the amount of hay fed until they are dependent totally on the pasture. Poloxalene is another management option for those dealing with high percentage legume pastures. This chemical reacts in the rumen and decreases the instance of foam and allows excess gasses to escape naturally. This chemical is most easily fed in a molasses, salt, and poloxalene block mix. Allow one block for every 5-6 cattle and keep them in places where cattle typically gather. You may also be able to add poloxalene into any grain mixes you may be feeding. You should feed half a pound of poloxalene per animal. Finally, the best management strategy will be to check your cattle frequently, about twice a day. This will allow you to observe any problems that may exist. The first visual sign of bloat is a notable increase in the fullness of the left side of the animal. If a cow is struggling with bloat you may be able to alleviate the symptoms by inserting a hose into the rumen to allow gasses to escape. Additionally there are oral products on the market that can be fed to aid in recovery. Consult your veterinarian about these products. If neither of these options work, you may want to attempt to use a trocar or cantula to relieve the pressure in the rumen; however, these should be the last resorts and should be observed by a veterinarian. Using these steps you should be able to effectively manage bloat in your cattle without instances of emergency management. If questions or concerns still exist call myself or your local extension agent to assist you in your specific situation. Jonathon Rotz, CCA Cumberland County Educator - Pennsylvania, 310 Allen Road, Carlisle, PA 17013, Phone:  717-240-6500, Penn State Cooperative Extension, College of Agricultural Sciences, E-mail: jdr21@psu.edu or CumberlandExt@psu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 17, 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 69 39 56 -6 4.03 4 Francesville 69 35 55 -6 3.07 3 Valparaiso_AP_I 69 35 56 -4 3.09 4 Wanatah 70 34 55 -4 3.62 3 60 Winamac 76 38 57 -4 2.53 3 North Central(2) Plymouth 71 34 53 -8 1.95 5 South_Bend 70 35 55 -4 2.15 5 Young_America 73 37 56 -5 4.43 4 Northeast (3) Fort_Wayne 73 35 57 -3 1.29 5 Kendallville 73 39 56 -4 1.92 4 West Central(4) Greencastle 78 38 56 -7 4.17 4 Perrysville 79 39 59 -3 4.57 4 60 Spencer_Ag 80 41 58 -3 3.64 5 Terre_Haute_AFB 82 42 62 +0 2.34 5 W_Lafayette_6NW 74 38 58 -3 4.11 4 63 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 78 43 61 -2 2.48 4 Greenfield 78 41 58 -4 3.11 4 Indianapolis_AP 79 43 61 -1 3.12 4 Indianapolis_SE 80 38 58 -5 3.17 4 Tipton_Ag 77 40 56 -4 2.48 6 66 East Central(6) Farmland 78 35 56 -4 1.47 4 60 New_Castle 77 38 56 -4 2.88 5 Southwest (7) Evansville 86 46 66 +2 1.46 4 Freelandville 82 46 61 -3 4.15 5 Shoals_8S 83 39 60 -3 2.08 3 Stendal 85 47 67 +4 1.41 3 Vincennes_5NE 83 45 62 -1 3.26 4 67 South Central(8) Leavenworth 82 45 63 +2 0.70 5 Oolitic 82 39 59 -3 4.19 4 64 Tell_City 83 48 64 +0 1.27 5 Southeast (9) Brookville 82 40 60 -1 2.41 5 Greensburg 82 42 61 -1 2.96 3 Seymour 81 41 60 -3 3.50 4 ----------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday May 17, 2009 ------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2009 thru Station | May 17, 2009 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W | 9.44 +3.60 22 233 -57 Francesville | 7.76 +2.18 21 205 -40 Valparaiso_AP_I | 7.78 +1.72 21 232 +4 Wanatah | 8.53 +2.72 22 176 -16 Winamac | 7.75 +2.17 24 228 -17 North Central(2)| Plymouth | 7.51 +1.57 27 202 -58 South_Bend | 6.54 +0.98 21 246 +34 Young_America | 9.48 +3.97 20 251 +12 Northeast (3) | Fort_Wayne | 7.62 +2.37 23 269 +44 Kendallville | 6.01 +0.71 24 247 +32 West Central(4) | Greencastle |14.24 +7.92 24 293 -30 Perrysville |12.10 +6.02 22 315 +38 Spencer_Ag |12.69 +6.02 26 316 +34 Terre_Haute_AFB |10.60 +4.19 22 408 +87 W_Lafayette_6NW |10.96 +5.04 24 275 +30 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |11.00 +5.09 25 360 +50 Greenfield |13.15 +6.69 25 280 +7 Indianapolis_AP |11.92 +6.01 21 386 +76 Indianapolis_SE |11.95 +5.69 24 291 -1 Tipton_Ag |11.83 +5.79 26 248 +33 East Central(6) | Farmland | 9.77 +4.16 24 260 +53 New_Castle |10.23 +3.70 22 249 +36 Southwest (7) | Evansville |10.24 +3.56 25 505 +68 Freelandville |13.01 +6.35 25 379 +35 Shoals_8S |12.51 +5.50 23 344 +10 Stendal |12.68 +5.38 24 509 +124 Vincennes_5NE |11.83 +5.17 24 397 +53 South Central(8)| Leavenworth | 9.90 +2.63 28 423 +82 Oolitic |11.85 +5.20 26 348 +49 Tell_City |10.88 +3.35 23 457 +56 Southeast (9) | Brookville | 8.44 +2.00 24 362 +111 Greensburg | 9.80 +3.05 23 377 +90 Seymour |11.28 +4.85 24 339 +30 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.