in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date September 8, 2002 Issue IN-CW3602 Agricultural Summary Another week of hot, dry weather pushed major crops toward maturity. There have been many days with afternoon temperatures in the mid-eighty to ninety degree range this summer, causing stress to crops and livestock. Corn harvest continued in a few early maturing fields, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. There was very little precipitation during the week, except for some pop up showers in a few isolated areas. Chopping corn for silage continued and some soybean fields are being cut for hay. Soil conditions are very dry in most areas of the state. The most critical areas for soil moisture deficiency are in the northeast, east central, southwest, south central and southeast regions of the state. Field Crops Report There were 7.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Corn condition is rated 28 percent good to excellent compared with 30 percent last week and 73 percent last year at this time. Ninety-four percent of the corn acreage has reached the dough stage compared with 100 percent last year and 98 percent for the average. Sixty-four percent of the corn acreage has reached the dent stage compared with 96 percent last year and 83 percent for the average. By area, 57 percent of the corn acreage is in the dent stage in the north, 68 percent in the central regions and 70 percent in the south. Twenty percent of the corn crop is mature compared with 42 percent last year and 33 percent for the 5-year average. Soybean condition is rated 32 percent good to excellent compared with 38 percent last week and 72 percent a year earlier. Virtually all of the soybean acreage is setting pods. Eighteen percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared with 35 percent last year and 34 percent for the average. Other activities during the week included baling hay, moving grain to market, harvesting seed corn, preparing equipment, cleaning up grain bins, FSA paperwork and taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 6 percent good, 24 percent fair, 30 percent poor and 40 percent very poor. Pastures continue to dry up in most regions of the state. Third cutting of alfalfa hay is 77 percent complete compared with 100 percent last year and 88 percent for the average. Tobacco harvest is 44 percent complete compared with 60 percent last year and 50 percent for the average. Feeding of hay continued on many livestock farms. Crop Progress Table -------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn in Dough 94 86 100 98 Corn in Dent 64 43 96 83 Corn Mature 20 6 42 33 Soybeans Shedding Lvs 18 11 35 34 Alfalfa Third Cutting 77 70 100 88 Tobacco Harvested 44 25 60 50 Crop Condition Table -------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent -------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 18 24 30 26 2 Soybean 13 20 35 29 3 Pasture 40 30 24 6 0 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : Week : Week : Year ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 46 34 4 Short 41 37 18 Adequate 13 29 72 Surplus 0 0 6 Subsoil Very Short 42 36 9 Short 40 38 26 Adequate 18 26 62 Surplus 0 0 3 Days Suitable 7.0 6.7 6.1 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 Grain Bin Clean-Up * Stored grain insect infestations usually begin from poor sanitation * Procedures are given to prevent infestations * Now is the time to carry out bin clean-up procedures Many grain bins have recently been emptied with higher market prices and preparation for this year's harvest. Storage facilities should be readied for corn that will likely carryover to next spring or summer. Preparing bins for storage now goes a long way toward preventing insect infestations. Several species of insects may infest grain in storage. The principal insects that cause damage are the adult and larval stages of beetles, and the larval stage of moths. Damage by these insects includes reducing grain weight and nutritional value, and by causing contamination (as live or dead insects), odor, mold, and heat damage that reduce the quality of grain. Newly harvested corn may become infested with insects when it comes in contact with previously infested grain in combines, truck beds, wagons, other grain-handling equipment, augers, bucket lifts, grain dumps, or grain already in the bin. Insects may also crawl or fly into grain bins from nearby accumulations of old contaminated grain, livestock feeds, bags, litter, any other cereal products, or rodent burrows. Insect infestations can be prevented by employing good management practices. Now that many grain bins are empty, the following guidelines should be used before the 2002-grain is placed in bins: - Brush, sweep out, and/or vacuum the combine, truck beds, transport wagons, grain dumps, augers, and elevator buckets to remove insect-infested grain and debris. - In empty bins, thoroughly sweep or brush down walls, ceilings, ledges, rafters, braces, and handling equipment and remove debris from bins. - Inside cleaned bins, spray wall surfaces, ledges, braces, rafters, and floors with an approved insecticide (Chlorpyrifos-methyl, cyfluthrin, or diatomaceous earth) to create a perimeter barrier. Outside, complete this barrier by treating the bases and walls up to 15 feet high, plus the soil around the bins. - Remove all debris from fans, exhausts, and aeration ducts (also from beneath slotted floors, when possible). Fumigate the false floor area if the bin has a history of insect infestation or you have not cleaned the false floor area recently. Only certified fumigation applicators may purchase and apply these. - Remove all debris from the storage site and dispose of it properly according to area, state, and/or federal guidelines (the debris usually contains insect eggs, larvae, pupae, and/or adults, ready to infest the newly harvested grain). - Remove all vegetation growing within ten feet of the bins (preferably the whole storage area). Then spray the cleaned area around bins with a residual herbicide to remove all undesirable weedy plants. - Repair and seal all damaged areas to the grain storage structure. This is not only to prevent insect migration into the bin, but also to prevent water leakage, which leads to mold growth. - Do not store newly harvested grain on old grain already in storage. - Whenever fans are not operated, they should be covered and sealed. This reduces the opportunity for insects and vertebrates to enter the bin through the aeration system. Linda Mason and John Obermeyer, Department of Entomology, Purdue University. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday September 8, 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 |96 49 72 +4 0.08 1 Valparaiso_AP_I |91 53 72 +5 0.55 1 Wanatah |93 48 70 +4 0.43 1 80 Wheatfield |92 50 71 +5 0.59 1 Winamac |91 53 72 +6 0.17 1 77 North Central(2)| Plymouth |92 53 71 +3 0.01 1 South_Bend |92 51 72 +6 0.11 1 Young_America |91 51 72 +4 0.00 0 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |92 49 71 +5 0.15 2 76 Fort_Wayne |91 52 72 +4 0.00 0 West Central (4)| Greencastle |91 49 71 +2 0.00 0 Perrysville |90 50 72 +4 0.00 0 77 Spencer_Ag |94 53 74 +6 0.00 0 Terre_Haute_AFB |92 49 74 +4 0.00 0 W_Lafayette_6NW |91 47 72 +4 0.00 0 80 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |93 58 76 +7 0.00 0 Greenfield |93 55 75 +6 0.00 0 Indianapolis_AP |94 58 77 +8 0.00 0 Indianapolis_SE |93 51 74 +5 0.00 0 Tipton_Ag |92 52 72 +6 0.00 0 78 East Central (6)| Farmland |94 50 72 +6 0.00 0 75 New_Castle |91 52 72 +5 0.03 1 Southwest (7) | Evansville |96 57 79 +8 0.22 1 Freelandville |93 59 77 +7 0.00 0 Shoals |95 55 77 +7 0.00 0 Stendal |95 59 79 +8 0.00 0 Vincennes_5NE |98 56 78 +8 0.00 0 79 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |94 58 77 +7 0.00 0 Oolitic |96 56 77 +8 0.02 1 79 Tell_City |96 59 80 +8 0.00 0 Southeast (9) | Brookville |98 56 77 +9 0.13 2 Milan_5NE |94 56 76 +7 0.00 0 Scottsburg |95 52 76 +6 0.15 1 ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- | Accumulation | April 1, 2002 thru Station | September 8, 2002 | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |17.29 -2.75 61 2825 +119 Valparaiso_AP_I |17.08 -3.89 59 2823 +350 Wanatah |17.63 -2.76 64 2686 +319 Wheatfield |20.21 +0.33 49 2734 +312 Winamac |18.95 -1.12 57 2757 +263 North Central(2)| Plymouth |17.81 -2.44 62 2640 +22 South_Bend |15.15 -4.49 59 2791 +331 Young_America |20.28 +1.02 54 2855 +286 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |16.89 -2.46 58 2618 +272 Fort_Wayne |18.37 +0.36 52 2835 +264 West Central (4)| Greencastle |25.31 +2.75 54 2786 -106 Perrysville |27.19 +5.78 56 2931 +236 Spencer_Ag |26.98 +3.97 57 2980 +255 Terre_Haute_AFB |30.14 +8.84 56 3179 +306 W_Lafayette_6NW |24.07 +4.09 63 2889 +333 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |21.04 +0.94 59 3169 +318 Greenfield |27.96 +5.90 60 3000 +264 Indianapolis_AP |19.29 -0.81 52 3289 +438 Indianapolis_SE |22.85 +2.19 50 2993 +154 Tipton_Ag |19.30 -0.99 54 2766 +283 East Central (6)| Farmland |17.72 -1.97 57 2857 +432 New_Castle |20.84 -0.36 50 2577 +92 Southwest (7) | Evansville |19.58 -0.63 44 3685 +381 Freelandville |22.28 +1.21 47 3363 +395 Shoals |21.30 -1.57 44 3240 +365 Stendal |23.46 +0.75 47 3498 +380 Vincennes_5NE |23.85 +2.78 56 3438 +470 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |21.25 -2.13 48 3329 +470 Oolitic |24.17 +2.13 55 3173 +423 Tell_City |21.10 -2.14 38 3794 +618 Southeast (9) | Brookville |20.34 -1.05 50 3228 +615 Milan_5NE |26.26 +4.87 59 2874 +261 Scottsburg |23.45 +1.66 54 3176 +221 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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