in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date April 18, 2004 Issue IN-CW1604 Agricultural Summary Farmers had an excellent week for field activities. Planting of corn advanced at a record early pace for this time of the season, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn planting is 4 days ahead of the previous record pace of 8 percent planted established in 1976 and 8 days ahead of the average pace. Precipitation was minimal for the second straight week in most areas of the state. Warm sunny weather along with wind continued to dry out soils during the week, but snow occurred in some of the southern counties early in the week. Farmers are concerned about the lack of rain and the dry soil conditions. Field Crops Report There were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Fifteen percent of the intended corn acreage is planted compared with 7 percent for last year and 5 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 9 percent of the corn is planted in the north, 15 percent in the central region and 28 percent in the south. Seeding of oats is virtually complete. Several fields of soybeans have been planted. Spreading of fertilizer and spraying of chemicals were in full swing. Forage crops and pastures need rain to stimulate growth and development. Forty-six percent of the winter wheat acreage is jointed compared with 48 percent last year and 51 percent for the 5-year average. Winter wheat condition is rated 84 percent good to excellent compared with 79 percent last year at this time. Wheat continues to look good, but could use some rain. Major activities during the week were tillage of soils, nitrogen application, spreading lime, preparing equipment, moving grain to market, ditch and fence row cleaning, hauling manure and taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 8 percent excellent, 61 percent good, 25 percent fair, 4 percent poor and 2 percent very poor. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Hay supplies are rated 2 percent very short, 10 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Lambing is winding down and spring calving continued on cattle operations. Crop Progress Table ----------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 15 3 7 5 Winter Wheat Jointed 46 26 48 51 Crop Condition Table ------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Pasture 2 4 25 61 8 Winter Wheat 2004 0 2 14 65 19 Winter Wheat 2003 1 3 17 60 19 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table ------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 8 1 3 Short 23 8 12 Adequate 60 77 70 Surplus 9 14 15 Subsoil Very Short 6 2 6 Short 17 7 20 Adequate 70 77 66 Surplus 7 14 8 Days Suitable 5.9 5.5 4.6 Contact information --Greg Preston, 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 PLANTER ADJUSTMENTS - A KEY STEP IN ACHIEVING UNIFORM STANDS IN CORN Uneven plant spacing and emergence may reduce yield potential in corn. Seed should be spaced as uniformly as possible within the row to ensure maximum yields and optimal crop performance. Corn plants next to a gap in the row may produce a larger ear or additional ears (if the hybrid has a prolific tendency), compensating to some extent for missing plants. Skips can reduce yield in fields where the intended population is at or below the optimum, while doubles increase yield when populations are less than optimum. Reduced plant stands will yield better if plants are spaced uniformly than if there are large gaps in the row. As a "rule of thumb", yields are reduced an additional 5 percent if there are gaps of 4 to 6 feet in the row and an additional 2 percent for gaps of 1 to 3 feet. Uneven corn emergence will generally have a greater impact on grain yield than uneven plant spacing. Uneven emergence affects corn performance because competition from larger, early-emerging plants decreases the yield from smaller, later-emerging plants. If the delay in emergence is less than two weeks, replanting increases yields less than 5 percent, regardless of the pattern of unevenness. However, if one-half or more of the plants in the stand emerge three weeks late or later, then replanting may increase yields up to 10 percent. Emergence delays of 10 days or more usually translate to growth stage differences of two leaves or more. When two plants differ by two leaves or more, the younger, smaller plant is more likely to be barren or produce nubbin ears. Weeds also tend to be a greater problem in those areas of a field characterized by skips and gaps in the corn rows, and slow erratic corn emergence. Corn sometimes emerges unevenly because of environmental conditions beyond the control of growers. However, timely planter servicing and adjustment, as well as appropriate management practices, can help prevent many stand uniformity problems. The following are some tips for improving the uniformity of seed placement during planting. 1. Keep the planting speed within the range specified in the planter's manual. 2. Match the seed grade with the planter plate. 3. Check planters with finger pickups for wear on the back plate and brush (use a feeler gauge to check tension on the fingers, then tighten them correctly). 4. Check for wear on double-disc openers and seed tubes. 5. Make sure the sprocket settings on the planter transmission are correct. 6. Check for worn chains, stiff chain links, and improper tire pressure. 7. Make sure seed drop tubes are clean and clear of any obstructions. 8. Clean seed tube sensors if a planter monitor is being used. 9. Make sure coulters and disc openers are aligned. 10.Match the air pressure to the weight of the seed being planted. 11.Make planter adjustments and follow lubricant recommendations when using seed-applied insecticides (e.g., Poncho and Cruiser). In 2004, as much as 20 % or more of the corn acreage in Ohio may be planted with seed-applied insecticides (e.g., Poncho and Cruiser). While these seed insecticides may help reduce stand losses from soil insects, it is critical that corn growers make planter adjustments and follow lubricant recommendations when using these seed-applied insecticides. Unless these precautions are followed, the extra chemical loading on the seed may adversely affect the "plantability" of seed vacuum planters may underseed and finger pickup planters may overseed. To improve planter accuracy, talc or graphite should be used according to the planter manufacturer's recommendations. With vacuum planters, it will probably be necessary to raise the vacuum to achieve more accurate seed drop. For more information on planter adjustments to improve stand establishment in corn, consult: "Tips to Reduce Planter Performance Effects on Corn Yield" OSU Extension Fact Sheet AGF-150-01 . Peter Thomison, Ohio State University. Weather Information Table Week Ending Sunday April 18, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Past Week Weather Summary Data |--------------------------------- Station | Air | | Avg | Temperature | Precip. |4 in. |---------------|------------|Soil |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days |Temp ------------------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W |85 26 53 +1 0.00 0 52 Valparaiso_AP_I |81 31 53 +4 0.14 1 Wanatah |84 28 52 +5 0.18 1 53 Wheatfield |81 28 52 +5 0.99 4 Winamac |84 30 53 +4 0.10 2 North Central(2)| Plymouth |81 30 52 +2 0.14 1 South_Bend |81 28 54 +6 0.03 1 Young_America |84 29 53 +4 0.00 0 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City |82 31 53 +6 0.00 0 Fort_Wayne |82 32 54 +5 0.03 1 West Central (4)| Greencastle |82 32 52 -1 0.00 0 Perrysville |85 30 55 +4 0.00 0 53 Spencer_Ag |82 28 51 -1 0.33 2 Terre_Haute_AFB |84 33 57 +5 0.00 0 W_Lafayette_6NW |86 28 55 +6 0.00 0 56 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP |81 33 54 +2 0.00 0 Greenfield |83 27 51 +0 0.05 2 Indianapolis_AP |82 30 55 +3 0.00 0 Indianapolis_SE |82 30 53 +2 0.00 0 Tipton_Ag |81 30 52 +3 0.00 0 East Central (6)| Farmland |82 31 52 +4 0.54 2 New_Castle |81 28 48 -2 0.09 2 Southwest (7) | Evansville |83 34 56 +0 0.56 1 Freelandville |83 33 54 +0 0.05 1 Shoals |84 30 53 -1 0.47 1 Stendal |83 35 55 +1 0.41 1 Vincennes_5NE |83 32 54 +1 0.56 2 50 South Central(8)| Leavenworth |80 38 54 -1 1.16 2 Oolitic |80 34 52 -1 0.35 2 51 Tell_City |81 34 55 +0 2.27 3 Southeast (9) | Brookville |83 32 52 +2 1.09 2 Milan_5NE |82 32 52 +2 1.21 2 Scottsburg |82 33 53 -2 0.64 2 --------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday April 18, 2004 ----------------|-------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2004 thru Station | April 18, 2004 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) | Chalmers_5W | 0.00 -2.11 0 58 +7 Valparaiso_AP_I | 0.14 -2.23 1 65 +32 Wanatah | 0.18 -2.10 1 57 +34 Wheatfield | 1.70 -0.58 6 56 +32 Winamac | 0.10 -2.12 2 60 +26 North Central(2)| Plymouth | 0.19 -2.12 2 53 +14 South_Bend | 0.04 -2.30 2 67 +40 Young_America | 0.00 -2.04 0 59 +26 Northeast (3) | Columbia_City | 0.01 -2.17 1 51 +29 Fort_Wayne | 0.04 -1.98 2 54 +24 West Central (4)| Greencastle | 0.03 -2.13 1 50 -9 Perrysville | 0.00 -2.32 0 77 +30 Spencer_Ag | 0.77 -1.57 4 48 -2 Terre_Haute_AFB | 0.10 -2.17 2 74 +13 W_Lafayette_6NW | 0.00 -2.17 0 75 +40 Central (5) | Eagle_Creek_AP | 0.11 -2.07 2 73 +19 Greenfield | 0.18 -2.18 6 56 +15 Indianapolis_AP | 0.20 -1.98 2 81 +27 Indianapolis_SE | 0.15 -2.02 2 64 +16 Tipton_Ag | 0.02 -2.30 1 47 +21 East Central (6)| Farmland | 0.71 -1.43 5 49 +26 New_Castle | 0.16 -2.25 4 35 +9 Southwest (7) | Evansville | 0.63 -1.75 3 97 -6 Freelandville | 0.19 -2.04 4 75 +5 Shoals | 0.65 -1.74 3 70 +1 Stendal | 0.59 -2.03 3 87 +3 Vincennes_5NE | 0.66 -1.57 4 77 +7 South Central(8)| Leavenworth | 1.41 -1.36 4 71 -2 Oolitic | 0.69 -1.67 5 54 -4 Tell_City | 2.40 -0.48 5 104 +13 Southeast (9) | Brookville | 1.37 -0.86 6 52 +12 Milan_5NE | 1.49 -0.74 6 55 +15 Scottsburg | 0.98 -1.51 5 65 -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 2004: 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