in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date July 14, 2002 Issue IN-CW2802 Agricultural Summary Farmers welcomed the much needed precipitation last week. The rain helped relieve the stress on major crops from the recent hot temperatures according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. However, portions of the state received very little or no rain during the week. Major crops and pastures remain under stress in some areas, especially in the eastern and southwestern regions of the state. Strong winds hit a few isolated areas, causing some damage. Winter wheat harvest was in full swing in the northern regions of the state. Cutting and baling hay along with spraying soybean fields for weed control continued during the week. Field Crops Report There were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Corn condition is rated 48 percent good to excellent compared with 48 percent last week and 78 percent last year at this time. Nine percent of the corn acreage has silked compared with 48 percent last year and 36 percent for the 5-year average. Planting of double crop soybeans is virtually complete. Soybean condition is rated 51 percent good to excellent compared with 51 percent last week and 70 percent a year earlier. Twenty-two percent of the soybean acreage is blooming compared with 52 percent last year and 45 percent for the 5-year average. Three percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods compared with 15 percent last year and 9 percent for the average. Winter wheat harvest is 91 percent complete compared with 92 percent last year and 85 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 78 percent of the wheat acreage is harvested in the north, 94 percent in the central regions and 99 percent in the south. Other activities during the week included baling hay and straw, mowing roads and pastures, cleaning up and repairing equipment, scouting fields, moving grain to market, attending county fairs, cleaning grain bins and taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 3 percent excellent, 34 percent good, 44 percent fair, 15 percent poor and 4 percent very poor. Pastures are deteriorating rapidly in some areas of the state. Second cutting of alfalfa hay is 52 percent complete compared with 70 percent last year and 61 percent for the average. Feeding of hay has begun on some farms. Livestock are in mostly good condition, but remain under some stress. Crop Progress Table -------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Silked 9 2 48 36 Soybeans Blooming 22 6 52 45 Soybeans Podding 3 NA 15 9 Winter Wheat Harvested 91 65 92 85 Alfalfa Second Cutting 52 25 70 61 Crop Condition Table -------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 4 11 37 42 6 Soybean 3 11 35 47 4 Pasture 4 15 44 34 3 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 18 20 4 Short 41 42 17 Adequate 40 36 71 Surplus 1 2 8 Subsoil Very Short 11 7 6 Short 36 34 18 Adequate 51 55 70 Surplus 2 4 6 Days Suitable 6.1 6.9 5.2 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 Timing of Crop Stress is Critical ! Last month, I wrote an article about the importance of the timing of stress and the existence of other stress factors in determining whether or not stand establishment problems developed on some of the few acres of early- planted corn (Some Corn Afflicted With TMDS Syndrome, P&C Newsletter ,6/14/02). Recently, colleagues in Entomology here at Purdue reported that corn rootworm (CRW) larvae were feeding on the roots of late-planted corn in some first year corn after soybean fields and that dramatic stunting subsequently developed (Rootworm Damage Being Reported on Late-Planted Corn, P&C Newsletter , 6/28/02 and Stunting and Lodging of Late- Planted Corn, P&C Newsletter, 7/5/02). The incidence of CRW larval injury to late-planted corn seedlings serves as another morbid example of the importance of the timing of stress relative to crop growth stage plus the existence of other complicating stresses in determining whether or not subsequent crop stunting occurs. I've walked some of these fields and want to share my thoughts with you on these teachable examples. Root injury to first-year corn by CRW larvae is not unusual in many parts of Indiana and Illinois due to the development of the variant of CRW that no longer preferentially lays eggs in corn fields. What was unusual this year was the preponderance of corn acres planted in late May throughout Indiana due to excessive and frequent rains earlier in the season. The late corn planting also coincided with CRW egg hatch and larval feeding activity. Consequently, CRW larvae were "waiting at the table" in some fields at the time of corn emergence and initial seedling development whereas normally, with earlier corn planting, corn is much further developed (close to V6 leaf stage) before CRW egg hatch occurs and CRW larvae begin their feeding activities. In fields that I walked in late June, there was evidence of CRW larval feeding on the seminal (seed) roots and often the first set of nodal roots originating from the crown of the plants. In some cases, the mesocotyl of the young seedlings also showed evidence of CRW larval feeding injury. In and of itself, the CRW injury to seminal and nodal roots is not unusual. What is important to understand, though, is the timing of this injury relative to crop growth stage. This injury occurred to very young corn seedlings that were just beginning to form permanent (nodal) root systems rather than injury to well-established corn plants closer to V6 in growth stage. Such stress to the initial nodal root system of corn plants will stunt further crop development by itself, but the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" was the concurrent hot and dry weather conditions that were rapidly drying the upper two or more inches of surface soil in some of these fields. Remember that the crown of a corn plant is positioned at about three-fourths inch (2 cm) below the soil surface. The excessively dry and hot soil imposed further stress on the nodal root development, leading to wilting of seedlings and eventual death for some. In the fields I walked, there were also interesting patterns of stunted and nearly normal plants within the field. What was unusual was that the nearly normal plants seemed to coincide with the trafficked areas of the field (tractor and planter tires) where soil compaction was the greatest. These nearly normal plants often exhibited similar levels of root injury due to CRW feeding, but several nodal roots of each plant had successfully elongated into the moist soil profile below the upper dry two inches. Plants that were stunted but not wilted usually had at least one nodal root that had managed to elongate down to moist soil. In contrast, almost every severely wilted plant could be characterized by not having any nodal roots below the excessively dry upper two inches of soil. I could only surmise that the trafficked areas of the field had not dried out as rapidly as the non-trafficked areas after earlier rains and that the young corn plants had a bit longer opportunity to successfully establish one or more nodal roots before the excessive heat settled in by mid-June. Injured corn plants in those fields that received rainfall from the spotty thunderstorms the last week of June survived the CRW damage, but now comprise the less favorable component of the tall corn/short corn phenomenon that characterizes those fields today. Injured and severely wilted corn plants in those fields that did not receive rainfall from the spotty thunderstorms have likely moved on to that "Great Corn Field in the Sky." Bottom Line: As with good comedy, timing is everything, especially when it comes to the effects of severe early season stress on corn. Do not discount the potential effects of a seemingly minor stress when the timing of its occurrence relative to crop growth stage or other complicating stress factors is "perfect" for crop injury. Related References: Nielsen, Bob. 2001. Corn Root Development [Online]. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. (Verified 7/5/02). Nielsen, Bob. 2002. Some Corn Afflicted With TMDS Syndrome [Online]. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. (Verified 7/5/02). Nielsen, Bob. 2002. Too Much Dang Stress Recap [Online]. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. (Verified 7/5/02). Obermeyer, John, Rich Edwards, and Larry Bledsoe. 2002. Rootworm Damage Being Reported on Late-Planted Corn [Online]. Pest & Crop Newsletter, No. 15, June 28. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. (Verified 7/5/02). Obermeyer, John, Rich Edwards, and Larry Bledsoe. 2002. Stunting and Lodging of Late-Planted Corn [Online ]. Pest & Crop Newsletter, No.16, July 5. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. (Verified 7/5/02). Bob Nielsen, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday July 14, 2002 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|-----------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |95 53 73 -2 0.98 1 Valparaiso_AP_I |93 53 73 +0 0.78 2 Wanatah |94 48 72 -1 0.84 2 82 Wheatfield |94 52 73 +0 1.06 1 Winamac |93 56 73 +0 0.59 2 82 North Central(2)| Plymouth |93 53 72 -3 0.70 2 South_Bend |94 52 73 -1 1.41 2 Young_America |91 55 73 -2 0.80 2 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |90 51 71 -2 0.46 2 78 Fort_Wayne |92 54 73 -1 0.18 2 West Central (4)| Greencastle |91 54 73 -4 2.18 1 Perrysville |92 55 74 -1 0.24 1 79 Spencer_Ag |89 57 73 -2 1.83 1 Terre_Haute_AFB |96 58 76 +0 0.00 0 W_Lafayette_6NW |93 54 73 +0 1.11 2 81 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |90 58 75 +0 1.41 2 Greenfield |89 57 74 -2 0.81 1 Indianapolis_AP |91 59 75 +0 0.66 1 Indianapolis_SE |89 57 74 -3 0.12 1 Tipton_Ag |90 53 72 -3 0.49 1 80 East Central (6)| Farmland |92 52 72 -1 0.61 1 78 New_Castle |86 53 70 -4 0.83 1 Southwest (7) | Evansville |95 65 79 +1 0.38 2 Freelandville |94 61 76 +0 1.68 1 Shoals |94 61 75 +1 0.23 1 Stendal |94 64 77 +1 0.57 2 Vincennes_5NE |97 62 77 +1 0.04 1 83 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |92 60 75 -1 1.51 3 Oolitic |90 60 75 +0 0.36 1 78 Tell_City |95 65 79 +2 0.00 0 Southeast (9) | Brookville |94 54 75 +2 0.10 1 Milan_5NE |87 56 71 -3 0.15 2 Scottsburg |91 56 74 -3 0.59 1 ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2002 thru Station | July 14, 2002 | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |11.75 -1.24 43 1480 +12 Valparaiso_AP_I |13.07 -0.85 39 1456 +154 Wanatah |12.79 -0.57 42 1382 +144 Wheatfield |12.12 -1.04 34 1419 +142 Winamac |11.86 -1.35 42 1407 +69 North Central(2)| Plymouth |13.51 -0.31 43 1334 -61 South_Bend |11.62 -1.31 41 1398 +113 Young_America |13.32 +0.66 39 1497 +136 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |11.55 -1.47 41 1303 +83 Fort_Wayne |13.35 +1.36 38 1463 +112 West Central (4)| Greencastle |20.89 +6.38 40 1444 -114 Perrysville |17.49 +3.30 41 1552 +97 Spencer_Ag |21.50 +6.49 44 1529 +77 Terre_Haute_AFB |25.23 +11.10 42 1708 +152 W_Lafayette_6NW |17.98 +4.93 48 1532 +167 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |17.99 +4.82 44 1650 +111 Greenfield |21.33 +7.14 46 1556 +94 Indianapolis_AP |16.88 +3.71 39 1711 +172 Indianapolis_SE |19.64 +6.12 39 1548 +32 Tipton_Ag |14.37 +1.31 39 1420 +103 East Central (6)| Farmland |13.70 +0.48 44 1475 +199 New_Castle |17.26 +2.87 35 1282 -24 Southwest (7) | Evansville |17.53 +3.45 35 2011 +179 Freelandville |19.49 +4.96 34 1789 +173 Shoals |19.57 +3.97 35 1685 +138 Stendal |20.26 +4.55 35 1858 +150 Vincennes_5NE |19.51 +4.98 36 1835 +219 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |18.19 +2.42 33 1783 +235 Oolitic |22.70 +7.91 43 1629 +161 Tell_City |17.82 +2.02 26 2096 +372 Southeast (9) | Brookville |18.09 +4.00 36 1644 +271 Milan_5NE |23.56 +9.47 44 1406 +33 Scottsburg |20.08 +5.56 39 1664 +60 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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