in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date August 22, 2004 Issue IN-CW3404 Agricultural Summary most areas of the state received some much needed precipitation last week, according to Indiana Agricultural Statistics. Soil conditions were getting dry in many fields around the state. The rain will help grain fill in corn and pod fill on soybean plants. Warmer temperatures along with sunshine helped major crops advance toward maturity. Farmers are preparing equipment and grain bins for the expected early harvest of corn and soybeans. Corn harvest was underway in a few fields in the southwestern region of the state. Sudden Death Syndrome is evident in some soybean fields Field Crops Report There were 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Ninety percent of the corn acreage has reached the dough stage compared with 63 percent last year and 83 percent for the average. Fifty-two percent of the corn acreage has reached the dent stage compared with 17 percent last year and 42 percent for the average. Seven percent of the corn acreage is mature compared with 1 percent last year and 2 percent for the average. Corn condition is rated 79 percent good to excellent compared with 56 percent last year at this time. Virtually all of the soybean acreage is blooming except for some very late planted fields. Ninety-five percent of the soybean acreage is setting pods compared with 77 percent last year and 89 percent for the average. Soybean condition is rated 73 percent good to excellent compared with 57 percent last year at this time. Third cutting of alfalfa hay is 64 percent complete compared with 44 percent last year and 69 percent for the average. Other activities during the week were repairing equipment, attending the state fair, spraying, scouting fields, mowing roads, cleaning out grain bins, hauling manure and taking care of livestock. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 14 percent excellent, 54 percent good, 23 percent fair, 8 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 in Dough 90 78 63 83 Corn in Dent 52 34 17 42 Corn Mature 7 NA 1 2 Soybeans Podding 95 85 77 89 Alfalfa Third Cutting 64 50 44 69 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 2 4 15 52 27 Soybean 3 5 19 51 22 Pasture 1 8 23 54 14 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table -------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : -------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 3 3 8 Short 19 28 31 Adequate 71 67 59 Surplus 7 2 2 Subsoil Very Short 3 3 6 Short 19 19 21 Adequate 75 76 70 Surplus 3 2 3 Days Suitable 5.0 6.6 6.8 Contact information --Greg Preston, Director --Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/in/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------- Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome (Andreas Westphal and Scott T. Abney ) SDS is prevalent in southern Indiana Two weeks ago, we cautioned that high risk for Sudden death syndrome (SDS) was prevalent in Indiana (Pest&Crop No. 20) based on observations in farmers fields and Abney's and Westphal's research plots strategically located in southern and central Indiana. At that time, we reported awareness of SDS in highly susceptible varieties. In brief, these conditions include high soil moisture at the beginning reproductive stages and early planting. Currently, foliar symptoms of SDS are most evident across southwest Indiana. When traveling in southern Indiana, we observed large areas with SDS. Symptoms were seen in about half of the fields. Soybeans in fields with SDS are in growth stages R5 to R6 (pod fill), the typical time for the disease to show-up. Fig. 1. (Available at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/ext/targets/ p&c/P&C2004/P&C22_2004.pdf) Defoliation of soybean plants with SDS along the turn-row of a soybean field. Details of the biology of SDS can be found in our previous article. SDS occurs in typical field patterns. Turn rows and wet spots of the affected fields are often first showing premature yellowing of soybean leaves and death of the soybean plants. However, we have also observed fields with an overall healthy plant population, but sprinkled, apparently random plants with SDS symptoms. When inspecting trouble fields, foliar symptoms are a first indication for SDS. Initially, leaves have yellow to brown areas between the major veins. In the progression of SDS, leaflets die and shrivel and drop off, leaving the petioles (leaf stalks)attached. While brown stem rot has similar foliar symptoms, it is distinguished from SDS by symptoms in the plant stem. Brown stem rot darkens the pith but not the cortex. In contrast, the lower stem and taproot of a plant with SDS will exhibit a dark-brown cortex, but white, maybe tan, pith. If a plant with symptoms of SDS is dug from moist soil, there may be small ,light-blue patches on the surface of the taproot. So if you suspect SDS in a trouble field you want to dig SDS-suspect plants from the soil, inspect the roots for a blue coating of SDS spores and split the stem. Fig. 2. (Available at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/ext/targets/ p&c/P&C2004/P&C22_2004.pdf) Single soybean plant with severe SDS: note that blades and pods have dropped off while petioles remain attached to the main stem. It is likely that this year's widespread occurrence of SDS in southern Indiana is associated with high soil moisture and the very early planting of soybean. SDS researchers throughout the North Central Region agree that planting early into cool soils increases the risk for this disease. The important predisposing factor: high soil moisture at beginning reproductive stages was also given as rain patterns provided water during the critical stages. We expect a continued spread of SDS symptomatic plants in areas where both predisposing conditions are given. Currently, there is no "quick-fix " remedy for SDS. Yield losses will depend on when (severity and soybean growth stage) SDS fields were infected and what proportion of the plant population was infected. This 2004 SDS awareness should prompt growers to carefully select soybean varieties that have superior ratings by seed companies relative to SDS. Large efforts on the management of SDS are afforded throughout the North Central Region, supported by the Indiana Soybean Board, the North Central Soybean Research Program and the United Soybean Board. Emphasis is placed on the development of resistant soybean lines, but also on the basic biology and ecology of the disease. At this time, it is important to make careful note of where the disease occurs (which fields, the pattern of the disease within a field, and symptom severity). In future plantings, the avoidance of extremely early planting, choosing varieties less susceptible to SDS, and any cultural methods that reduce excessive soil moisture, e.g., breaking of compaction layers or improved drainage, has potential to help to manage SDS. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday August 22, 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 48 65 -7 1.11 4 69 Valparaiso_AP_I 80 47 64 -7 1.46 4 Wanatah 82 42 63 -8 1.67 4 71 Wheatfield 81 46 64 -7 1.39 3 Winamac 81 50 64 -6 3.44 4 67 North Central (2) Plymouth 80 49 64 -8 2.92 4 South_Bend 80 50 65 -7 0.74 4 Young_America 82 47 65 -7 3.01 4 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 78 46 63 -7 2.64 5 67 Fort_Wayne 80 46 65 -8 2.55 4 West Central (4) Greencastle 84 46 66 -8 1.05 4 Perrysville 86 45 67 -5 1.00 3 75 Spencer_Ag 87 50 68 -5 1.00 3 Terre_Haute_AFB 87 46 69 -5 1.44 3 W_Lafayette_6NW 83 45 65 -6 0.38 4 75 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 84 52 69 -5 0.86 1 Greenfield 86 51 68 -5 1.40 1 Indianapolis_AP 87 54 70 -3 1.31 2 Indianapolis_SE 86 50 69 -5 1.58 1 Tipton_Ag 83 46 66 -5 2.37 4 73 East Central (6) Farmland 81 47 66 -5 1.39 3 66 New_Castle 83 45 64 -7 1.84 2 Southwest (7) Evansville 91 50 72 -4 0.26 2 Freelandville 90 52 70 -4 1.26 2 Shoals 92 48 69 -5 0.41 1 Stendal 93 54 72 -4 0.62 1 Vincennes_5NE 91 49 71 -3 1.83 2 76 South Central (8) Leavenworth 91 53 70 -4 0.93 2 Oolitic 88 50 69 -4 0.72 2 75 Tell_City 93 55 73 -3 0.74 2 Southeast (9) Brookville 91 50 70 -2 1.22 2 Milan_5NE 88 50 69 -3 1.26 4 Scottsburg 90 49 69 -6 0.68 1 ------------------------------------------------ Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday August 22, 2004 ----------------|-------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2004 thru Station | August 22, 2004 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) Chalmers_5W 23.49 +5.41 49 2209 -184 Valparaiso_AP_I 16.70 -1.98 58 2082 -101 Wanatah 16.79 -1.44 60 1942 -147 Wheatfield 30.24 +12.47 61 2037 -104 Winamac 23.52 +5.48 62 2119 -89 North Central (2) Plymouth 21.15 +2.86 62 2050 -262 South_Bend 18.56 +1.00 65 2173 +1 Young_America 22.80 +5.57 56 2222 -44 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 21.56 +4.15 66 2031 -40 Fort_Wayne 22.82 +6.54 61 2201 -68 West Central (4) Greencastle 20.41 -0.05 58 2210 -341 Perrysville 17.79 -1.67 47 2426 +42 Spencer_Ag 24.02 +3.08 62 2384 -22 Terre_Haute_AFB 16.33 -3.08 55 2581 +41 W_Lafayette_6NW 21.27 +3.22 45 2226 -33 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 17.81 -0.50 57 2483 -36 Greenfield 19.77 -0.43 57 2357 -57 Indianapolis_AP 23.81 +5.50 51 2578 +59 Indianapolis_SE 20.03 +1.01 50 2374 -129 Tipton_Ag 19.39 +1.05 57 2152 -43 East Central (6) Farmland 19.15 +1.33 57 2193 +51 New_Castle 22.08 +2.61 45 1945 -248 Southwest (7) Evansville 19.81 +1.29 48 2931 +5 Freelandville 20.43 +1.11 49 2619 -4 Shoals 23.10 +2.14 53 2610 +75 Stendal 20.33 -0.39 49 2796 +40 Vincennes_5NE 21.26 +1.94 59 2725 +102 South Central (8) Leavenworth 28.20 +6.73 57 2652 +127 Oolitic 23.35 +3.15 58 2466 +41 Tell_City 25.03 +3.88 50 3001 +204 Southeast (9) Brookville 17.30 -2.31 47 2500 +198 Milan_5NE 24.41 +4.80 77 2454 +152 Scottsburg 31.35 +11.47 53 2568 -40 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.