in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 26, 2002 Issue IN-CW2102 Agricultural Summary Open weather and drier soil conditions finally arrived this spring allowing farmers the best week thus far this season to accomplish some fieldwork. By mid-week most farmers were in their fields tilling soils, along with planting corn and soybeans, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting is about 3 weeks behind the average pace. Wet spots remain in many fields around the state. Farmers were working long hours trying to catch up from the delayed planting this season. Field Crops Report There were 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Forty-three percent of the corn acreage is planted compared with 100 percent last year and 96 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 54 percent of the corn acreage is planted in the north, 39 percent in the central regions and 29 percent in the south. Thirteen percent of the corn acreage has emerged compared with 99 percent a year earlier. Emerged corn is yellow in color. Nineteen percent of the intended soybean acreage is planted compared with 96 percent a year ago and 80 percent for the average. By area, 27 percent of the soybean acreage is planted in the north, 18 percent in the central regions and 8 percent in the south. Four percent of the soybean acreage has emerged compared with 85 percent a year earlier. Other activities during the week were working on equipment, spraying, moving grain to market, hauling manure, mowing roadsides and taking care of livestock. Seventy-eight percent of the winter wheat is headed compared with 98 percent last year and 85 percent for the average. Winter wheat condition is rated 57 percent good to excellent, same as last week, but below the 65 percent a year ago at this time. First cutting of alfalfa hay is 14 percent complete compared with 27 percent for both last year and the 5-year average. Transplanting of tobacco is 10 percent complete compared with 30 percent last year and 27 percent for the average. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 19 percent excellent, 61 percent good, 17 percent fair, 2 percent poor, and 1 percent very poor. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Crop Progress Table -------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 43 13 100 96 Corn Emerged 13 7 99 NA Soybeans Planted 19 4 96 80 Soybeans Emerged 4 2 85 NA Winter Wheat Headed 78 50 98 85 Tobacco Plants Set 10 1 30 27 Alfalfa First Cutting 14 NA 27 27 Crop Condition Table -------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 5 18 48 27 2 Pasture 1 2 17 61 19 Winter Wheat 2002 2 9 32 48 9 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 0 0 2 Short 0 0 9 Adequate 53 15 65 Surplus 47 85 24 Subsoil Very Short 0 0 7 Short 0 0 23 Adequate 53 25 64 Surplus 47 75 6 Days Suitable 4.3 0.4 1.7 Contact information --Ralph W. Gann, State Statistician --Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/in/index.htm Other Agricultural Comments And News Agronomic Reasons Not to Switch From Corn to Soybeans INTRODUCTION: Planting delays always involve difficult decisions, and one of the most involved is whether (or when) to switch intended corn acres to soybean. Factors include relative yield expectations, anticipated prices, livestock feed requirements, specialty production contracts, planting rate capabilities, seed supplies, and agronomic considerations. The latter will be discussed in this article as one way to assist producers in making that difficult decision. Our bias is reflected in the title; namely, most farmers shouldn't switch from corn to soybean until at least the end of May if the following agronomic factors are important to them: 1. Soybean Yield Loss in 2002. For those farmers who are currently involved in a 50% corn, 50% soybean sequence, our long-term data suggest a yield reduction for soybeans after soybeans averaging 10%, and possibly as high as 20% in high stress years, relative to soybeans after corn. Late planting of soybeans doesn't usually reduce stress incidence, so factor in at least a 10% yield loss for fields where soybean follows soybean. 2. Soybean Yield Loss in 2003. If conventional 50/50 farmers switch intended corn acreage to soybeans in 2002, then they will also experience a yield loss should they want to get back to the 50/50 cropping scheme in 2003. Thus, a 1000 acre farmer who plants 700 acres of soybeans, but only 300 acres of corn in 2002, will necessarily plant 200 of the 500 acres of soybeans in 2003 into previous crop soybean (if the 50% soybean base is resumed in 2003). Note that in this scenario, only 300 of the 500 soybean acres in 2003 would be planted following corn. In addition, the 200 acres of corn in 2004 after two years of successive soybean will experience no yield benefit from following two soybean crops versus one soybean crop. 3. Increased Risk of Soybean Disease. Multiple years of soybean encourages more soil-borne diseases like soybean cyst nematode (SCN), sudden death syndrome, and white mold. The risk associated with soybean after soybean is not worth taking if a farmer already has significant SCN populations and seed of varieties with the appropriate resistance are not available. Farmers are advised not to proceed with second year soybean using a susceptible variety if they aren't confident about the lack of (or extent of) SCN presence in particular fields. Nematode numbers may jump dramatically with a susceptible variety, and soybean yields may be negatively affected for years. Was the soil tested for SCN levels in 2001? If not, plan rotation changes with caution. Decisions on short-term economics may compromise income from soybean crops in future years. 4. Weed Control. If residual herbicides specific to corn were applied last fall or this spring, then there is no alternative but to plant corn. Since the majority of the soybeans are Roundup Ready TM varieties, the risks of potential weed resistance to glyphosate only increase when glyphosate is the only herbicide used in successive years. 5. Yield Levels of Available Varieties. The potential yields of any crop are limited by their inherent genetic capabilities. Obtaining seed of high yielding soybean varieties could be a challenge at this late date. The corn yield loss of 1 bu/acre/day of delayed planting (in May) of the elite hybrid still in the machinery shed will, in many cases, be a smaller economic sacrifice than planting potentially mediocre yielding soybean varieties (which are also losing 0.25 to 0.4 bu/acre/day in yield potential after May 20). Indeed, though the odds diminish as the calendar advances, yields in the 130 to 200 bushel per acre range are still theoretically possible for corn planted after May 20. 6. Nutrient Efficiency. If nitrogen (N) fertilizer for corn was already applied, every attempt should be made to plant corn to avoid economic loss (N fertilizer and application costs) as well as inefficient nutrient utilization. Although soybeans can utilize available N from the fertilizer source (and, in the process, fix less of its own N via the nodules) there is little benefit to the soybean crop from doing so. Environmentally, corn roots will probably capture more of the mineralized N from the N fertilizer source than soybean roots will. 7. Reductions in Soil Quality. Three factors of soil quality are threatened when the proportion of soybeans in rotation increases. One is the reduction in soil organic matter since less bio-mass is returned compared to grain corn. The second is poorer soil structural stability (less stable aggregates) because soybean root and shoot material decomposes so much faster than corn, and has historically not provided the same level of temporary soil "bonds". Third, soil residue cover persisting after soybean is much less than after corn. Thus, the soil erosion potential in the spring after 2 years of soybean production is higher than that after a corn-soybean rotation. An interesting footnote is that 2-year old corn residue makes up approximately 50% of the residue weight on the soil surface in the spring after no-till soybean follows grain corn. Those who can least "afford" to plant soybean after soybean are those on sloping soils with low organic matter levels. Future crop yield potential is sacrificed when soil is lost. SUMMARY: All seven of these agronomic factors should be considered before the decision is made to switch intended corn acres to soybean in May. If planting delays continue past early June, there are more economic reasons to switch corn acreage to soybean. The actual date in June when that occurs varies with the remaining season length in different areas of the state. However, in May at least, there are at least seven agronomic reasons in favor of retaining corn. Tony J.Vyn, Robert L.Nielsen, and Ellsworth P.Christmas, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday May 26, 2002 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|-----------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Valparaiso_AP_I |75 30 50 -13 0.43 2 Wanatah |77 28 51 -11 0.47 2 58 Wheatfield |78 29 51 -11 0.39 2 Winamac |76 32 52 -12 0.51 3 59 North Central(2)| Chalmers_5W |80 32 53 -12 0.18 2 Plymouth |76 30 51 -13 0.33 3 South_Bend |75 30 51 -12 0.95 3 Young_America |78 34 54 -10 0.66 3 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |76 33 52 -10 0.34 3 54 Fort_Wayne |77 37 54 -9 1.86 2 West Central (4)| Greencastle |80 31 54 -12 1.07 3 Perrysville |78 33 55 -10 0.12 4 58 Terre_Haute_AFB |80 34 57 -8 0.86 3 W_Lafayette_6NW |78 30 54 -10 0.42 4 57 Central (5) | Brookville |82 31 54 -10 0.79 3 Eagle_Creek_AP |80 35 56 -10 0.38 3 Greenfield |79 34 55 -10 0.71 3 Indianapolis_AP |81 36 57 -9 0.47 3 Indianapolis_SE |80 35 55 -10 0.23 2 Tipton_Ag |77 33 53 -11 0.31 2 57 East Central (6)| Farmland |78 32 53 -9 0.51 2 54 New_Castle |82 30 51 -12 0.20 2 Southwest (7) | Evansville |83 39 60 -8 0.01 1 Freelandville |81 36 58 -8 1.02 1 Shoals |83 34 57 -9 0.30 2 Stendal |81 37 58 -9 0.44 1 Vincennes_5NE |80 36 58 -9 0.41 2 South Central(8)| Spencer_Ag |80 33 54 -10 0.65 3 Tell_City |85 41 62 -6 0.00 0 Southeast (9) | Milan_5NE |79 29 52 -12 0.40 2 Scottsburg |82 32 56 -10 0.52 2 ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2002 thru Station | May 26, 2002 | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Valparaiso_AP_I | 9.91 +2.74 23 302 -39 Wanatah |10.29 +3.44 25 250 -47 Wheatfield | 8.44 +1.78 24 290 -30 Winamac | 8.88 +2.28 29 276 -87 North Central(2)| Chalmers_5W | 8.01 +1.09 28 297 -122 Plymouth |10.11 +3.09 28 250 -133 South_Bend | 8.84 +2.36 28 280 -41 Young_America | 8.15 +1.56 25 344 -15 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City | 9.31 +2.77 26 263 -34 Fort_Wayne | 8.96 +2.72 24 348 +9 West Central (4)| Greencastle |14.03 +6.33 25 363 -98 Perrysville |12.73 +5.48 28 373 -30 Terre_Haute_AFB |21.06 +13.36 28 488 +31 W_Lafayette_6NW |12.23 +5.23 28 350 -15 Central (5) | Brookville |13.85 +6.05 23 433 +63 Eagle_Creek_AP |11.57 +4.49 25 446 +0 Greenfield |13.05 +5.37 30 396 -7 Indianapolis_AP |12.12 +5.04 23 486 +40 Indianapolis_SE |13.18 +5.67 21 407 -20 Tipton_Ag |10.49 +3.37 27 327 -2 East Central (6)| Farmland |10.78 +4.06 30 345 +27 New_Castle |12.06 +4.27 23 287 -40 Southwest (7) | Evansville |13.72 +5.66 24 664 +68 Freelandville |15.06 +6.91 22 501 +16 Shoals |15.37 +6.80 23 468 -1 Stendal |16.50 +7.67 22 571 +36 Vincennes_5NE |15.72 +7.57 21 538 +53 South Central(8)| Spencer_Ag |15.68 +7.60 29 383 -25 Tell_City |13.46 +4.58 18 710 +159 Southeast (9) | Milan_5NE |16.46 +8.66 28 367 -3 Scottsburg |15.54 +7.57 25 484 -5 ------------------------------------------------------------- DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). 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. Copyright 2002: AWIS, Inc. All rights reserved. The above weather information is provided by AWIS, Inc. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. The INDIANA CROP WEATHER REPORT (USPS 675-770), (ISSN 0442-817X) is issued weekly April through November by the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. Second Class postage paid at Lafayette IN. For information on subscribing, send request to above address. POSTMASTER: Send address change to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105, West Lafayette IN 47906-4145. Source: Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service