in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date September 19, 2004 Issue IN-CW3804 Agricultural Summary soybean harvest was in full swing in the central areas of the state last week. Harvesting of mature corn fields also made good progress in some areas, according to Indiana Agricultural Statistics. The best progress for corn harvest is in the southern region with about 18 percent of the corn acreage harvested. Twenty-two percent of the soybean acreage is harvested in the central region. Favorable weather conditions continue to help corn and soybean fields advance rapidly toward maturity. Field Crops Report There were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Ninety-five percent of the corn acreage has reached the dent stage compared with 86 percent last year and 94 percent for the average. Sixty-four percent of the corn acreage is mature (safe from frost) compared with 34 percent last year and 59 percent for the average. Eight percent of the corn acreage is harvested compared with 4 percent last year and 8 percent for the average. Moisture content of harvested corn is averaging about 22 percent. Corn condition is rated 79 percent good to excellent compared with 58 percent last year at this time. Seventy-eight percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared with 50 percent last year and 66 percent for the average. Fifty percent of the soybean acreage is mature compared with 17 percent last year and 30 percent for the average. Fourteen percent of the soybean acreage is harvested compared with 4 percent last year and 6 percent for the average. Moisture content of harvested soybeans is averaging about 13 percent. Soybean condition is rated 73 percent good to excellent compared with 56 percent last year at this time. Three percent of the winter wheat acreage is planted compared with 3 percent last year and 3 percent for the average. Tobacco harvest is 74 complete compared with 64 percent last year and 76 percent for the average. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 11 percent excellent, 53 percent good, 26 percent fair, 9 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 Dent 95 92 86 94 Corn Mature 64 48 34 59 Corn Harvested 8 3 4 8 Soybeans Shedding Lvs 78 60 50 6 Soybeans Mature 50 25 17 30 Soybeans Harvested 14 4 4 6 Winter Wheat Planted 3 1 3 3 Tobacco Harvested 74 59 64 76 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 3 4 14 48 31 Soybean 3 5 19 50 23 Pasture 1 9 26 53 11 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table -------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : -------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 3 1 2 Short 28 13 15 Adequate 67 80 78 Surplus 2 6 5 Subsoil Very Short 4 1 4 Short 17 12 14 Adequate 75 82 76 Surplus 4 5 6 Days Suitable 6.7 6.4 6.7 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ag input prices on the rise, but so is average farm income WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In what's become par for the course, agricultural input costs are up for the 2005 growing season. Alan Miller, a Purdue Extension ag economist said, "Fertilizers, chemicals, seed, drying fuel and machinery fuel, all those things are up, they're not up very much, but certainly they're up enough that they will get people's attention." Total ag production expenses in the United States increased at an average rate of 2.1 percent from 1995 through 2004 with only feed and livestock input prices likely to be lower among the major categories. "That sounds fairly bleak," Miller said. "In fact, it's not that bad. Even with the higher costs and lower prices that we're going to see in 2005, total net farm income in Indiana will still be above average." Still, farmers should be prepared to deal with higher prices. Corn, soybeans and wheat are expected to be more expensive to produce. Miller said that the per- acre cost of growing crops on average quality land is expected to increase around $16 for continuous corn, $12 for rotation corn and beans, $11 for second-year beans, $11 for double crop wheat and beans and $3 for wheat. Miller said energy prices continue to be a prominent factor. "There's a limited ability to increase oil production worldwide on a short-term basis, so that makes us really susceptible to any kind of disruption in supply or even a threat of disruption," he said. "It's going to be an interesting period. We're going to have to get used to prices being all over the place." Gas and diesel prices have increased more than 25 cents per gallon during the past year and are expected to be higher in 2005. Farmers, however, can lessen the impact of fuel price increases, Miller said. "A lot of farmers buy fuel in bulk, so that's one thing that can mean a pretty significant discount on fuel," he said. "The other advantage is that it gives you a half year or more in which to pick the most favorable period to buy." Natural gas prices have been more stable this year. "The natural gas is high priced, and that causes problems from the standpoint that we use natural gas to produce anhydrous ammonia," Miller said. "Our concern is that, while the price is too high now, if we look at futures for natural gas, January is $1.50 higher per million BTU, so this is going to get even more expensive and more problematic." Miller expects to see higher average prices for nitrogen fertilizers. "It doesn't help that we've also got some shortages in other types of nitrogen fertilizers," he said. "From a management strategy standpoint, what I've been pushing is keep in mind this $1.50 carrying premium for natural gas. The best opportunities to buy may be this fall." With fertilizer and fuel being expensive, it's even more important to select good seed. "Seed is expected to be available in adequate supplies, but seed prices are expected to be 5 to 10 percent higher for technology seeds," Miller said. Prices of non-GMO varieties also will increase, but more moderately, he said. "More seed varieties will carry seed treatments as a matter of course and as an element of price, rather than as an optional extra-cost treatment," Miller said. In some cases there is no reduction in cost for purchasing non-treated varieties. Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu Source: Alan Miller, (765) 494-4203, millerwa@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday September 19, 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 90 49 69 +5 0.27 1 71 Valparaiso_AP_I 85 48 68 +5 0.17 1 Wanatah 88 44 67 +4 0.38 1 73 Wheatfield 86 49 68 +5 0.85 2 Winamac 86 48 69 +5 0.44 1 70 North Central (2) Plymouth 85 47 68 +3 0.42 2 South_Bend 85 48 69 +6 0.36 1 Young_America 88 47 69 +5 0.00 0 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 84 44 68 +5 0.02 1 70 Fort_Wayne 84 45 68 +4 0.00 0 West Central (4) Greencastle 85 43 67 -1 0.20 1 Perrysville 89 46 71 +6 0.11 1 76 Spencer_Ag 85 47 69 +4 0.30 1 Terre_Haute_AFB 87 47 71 +5 0.49 2 W_Lafayette_6NW 90 42 69 +5 0.00 0 79 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 86 50 71 +5 0.21 1 Greenfield 85 47 69 +3 0.00 0 Indianapolis_AP 85 51 71 +5 0.14 1 Indianapolis_SE 85 45 69 +3 0.06 1 Tipton_Ag 85 46 68 +5 0.17 2 73 East Central (6) Farmland 87 42 68 +5 0.00 0 66 New_Castle 84 43 66 +2 0.69 1 Southwest (7) Evansville 87 49 73 +4 0.08 1 Freelandville 85 52 71 +4 0.04 1 Shoals 85 47 71 +5 0.00 0 Stendal 85 51 72 +4 0.23 1 Vincennes_5NE 86 49 72 +6 0.27 2 75 South Central (8) Leavenworth 86 50 71 +5 0.09 2 Oolitic 85 50 70 +4 0.05 1 75 Tell_City 86 53 74 +5 0.00 0 Southeast (9) Brookville 88 47 71 +6 0.04 1 Milan_5NE 84 47 69 +5 0.61 2 Scottsburg 85 44 70 +3 0.00 0 ----------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday September 19, 2004 ----------------|-------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2004 thru Station | September 19, 2004 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) Chalmers_5W 29.33 +8.22 57 2785 -116 Valparaiso_AP_I 20.05 -2.55 64 2609 -41 Wanatah 21.89 -0.01 68 2435 -98 Wheatfield 37.30 +16.02 72 2552 -38 Winamac 28.55 +7.26 72 2666 -1 North Central (2) Plymouth 26.32 +4.71 71 2574 -229 South_Bend 22.28 +1.30 73 2731 +99 Young_America 26.76 +6.23 62 2796 +41 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 24.97 +4.36 73 2576 +65 Fort_Wayne 25.34 +6.36 66 2765 +10 West Central (4) Greencastle 22.70 -1.19 66 2756 -346 Perrysville 21.49 -1.04 53 3020 +131 Spencer_Ag 27.30 +3.17 69 2955 +39 Terre_Haute_AFB 18.92 -3.65 62 3211 +131 W_Lafayette_6NW 23.19 +2.11 50 2780 +40 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 19.41 -1.73 64 3102 +48 Greenfield 22.64 -0.50 63 2943 +6 Indianapolis_AP 27.12 +5.98 59 3206 +152 Indianapolis_SE 22.42 +0.79 54 2962 -84 Tipton_Ag 22.48 +1.09 64 2704 +46 East Central (6) Farmland 21.25 +0.41 61 2740 +143 New_Castle 23.32 +1.16 50 2445 -216 Southwest (7) Evansville 22.70 +1.43 53 3601 +65 Freelandville 23.13 +0.95 56 3243 +63 Shoals 26.14 +2.14 61 3242 +158 Stendal 24.65 +0.77 55 3442 +105 Vincennes_5NE 23.56 +1.38 67 3375 +195 South Central (8) Leavenworth 31.93 +7.60 65 3273 +209 Oolitic 26.03 +3.03 67 3077 +129 Tell_City 30.60 +6.17 55 3687 +276 Southeast (9) Brookville 19.11 -3.23 54 3130 +328 Milan_5NE 27.60 +5.26 90 3048 +246 Scottsburg 32.91 +10.07 59 3160 -8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.