in-crop-weather State Indiana Crop Weather Week Ending Date October 17, 2004 Issue IN-CW4204 Agricultural Summary Farmers welcomed the much needed precipitation during the week, according to Indiana Agricultural Statistics. Rain had been minimal in most areas of the state in recent weeks causing very dry and dusty field conditions. Corn and soybean harvest continued to make good progress despite the temporary rain delay. Corn harvest is 7 days ahead of the average pace. Soybean harvest is running about 8 days ahead of the average pace. Many elevators continue to be at full capacity. Fall tillage has taken place in many fields along with spreading of fertilizer and lime. Field Crops Report There were 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Ninety-nine percent of the corn acreage is mature (safe from frost) compared with 95 percent last year and 98 percent for the average. Sixty percent of the corn acreage is harvested compared with 32 percent last year and 47 percent for the average. By area, 49 percent of the corn acreage is harvested in the north, 65 percent in the central region and 76 percent in the south. Moisture content of harvested corn is averaging about 17 percent. Corn condition is rated 84 percent good to excellent compared with 65 percent last year at this time. Ninety-seven percent of the soybean acreage is mature compared with 93 percent last year and 96 percent for the average. Eighty-two percent of the soybean acreage is harvested compared with 58 percent last year and 67 percent for the average. By area, 81 percent of the soybean acreage is harvested in the north, 89 percent in the central region and 72 percent in the south. Moisture content of harvested soybeans is averaging about 10.5 percent. Sixty-six percent of the winter wheat acreage is planted compared with 53 percent last year and 57 percent for the average pace. Twenty-one percent of the winter wheat acreage is emerged compared with 19 percent last year and 24 percent for the average pace. Rain during the week will boost winter wheat emergence. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture condition is rated 2 percent excellent, 27 percent good, 37 percent fair, 25 percent poor and 9 percent very poor. Livestock are in mostly good condition. Crop Progress Table ----------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-Year Crop : Week : Week : Year : Avg ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Mature 99 96 95 98 Corn Harvested 60 47 32 47 Soybeans Shedding Lvs 99 98 98 99 Soybeans Mature 97 93 93 96 Soybeans Harvested 82 73 58 67 Winter Wheat Planted 66 44 53 57 Winter Wheat Emerged 21 9 19 24 Crop Condition Table ----------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Excel- Crop : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent ----------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn 2 3 11 46 38 Pasture 9 25 37 27 2 Soil Moisture & Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table -------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : : Week : Week : Year : -------------------------------------- Percent Topsoil Very Short 6 33 1 Short 31 43 6 Adequate 58 23 81 Surplus 5 1 12 Subsoil Very Short 15 20 3 Short 38 39 10 Adequate 46 41 81 Surplus 1 0 6 Days Suitable 4.2 6.8 4.5 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grain quality program shows what soybeans made of WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Quality, not just quantity, determines a soybean crop's worth, and a new program sponsored by Purdue University and the Indiana Soybean Board will give farmers an inside look at the grain they're harvesting this fall. For a 3-pound bag of their soybean crop and the cost of postage, the Purdue Grain Quality Laboratory will analyze the grain for test weight, moisture, fiber content, protein and oil, said Dirk Maier, Purdue Extension grain quality specialist. Soybean growers will receive a lab report by regular mail, e-mail or fax. They will then be able to compare their samples with those from across the state on Purdue's Post Harvest Grain Quality and Stored Product Protection Program Web page. The information should be helpful in marketing the 2004 crop and in selecting soybean varieties for 2005, Maier said. "This initiative is funded by the Indiana Soybean Board and provides crop producers an opportunity to submit soybean samples and have them analyzed, particularly for protein and oil content," Maier said. "From the information they receive back from the grain quality lab, farmers can make better decisions of choosing soybeans that are not only higher yielding, but also have higher oil and protein content - traits that are desirable to processors. "This is a voluntary program. We'll be accepting samples all winter and are encouraging producers to take advantage of this service." While farmers are the target group for the program, known as the Indiana Soybean End-Use Quality Traits Initiative, those with test plots, small seed companies and county Extension educators also are welcome to participate. Those submitting grain samples are urged to provide as much additional information about their crop as possible, including variety, planting and harvesting dates, fertilizer and herbicide applications, field location, yield average, specific variety traits - Roundup Ready or CystX, for example - soil type and row width. The more information included with soybean samples, the more valuable the Internet resource will be, Maier said. While a host of data will appear on the Post Harvest Grain Quality Web page, the identities of participants will remain anonymous, he said. Individual samples will be assigned an ID number. "On our Web site, we'll try to estimate the processing value of samples in terms of soybean meal and soy oil content, the amino acid profile and the quality of the oil itself," he said. "We'll also list the seed varieties themselves, so that producers can compare the varieties. The one thing we will not do is identify a producer. Those visiting the site can compare their samples against others, but there will be no revealing of who grew what, when and where." A letter detailing the grain analysis program and outlining sample submission guidelines has been sent to producers. Growers who have not received a letter can find submission information by logging onto http://www.grainquality.org, clicking on "Extension Projects" and then "Grain Composition Analysis Service." The Purdue Grain Quality Laboratory is housed in the School of Agriculture's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. The lab is equipped with a near infrared transmittance grain analyzer for determining composition values of soybeans, soybean meal and corn. Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu Source: Dirk Maier, (765) 494-1175, maier@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table Week ending Sunday October 17, 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 69 30 50 -5 0.86 3 58 Valparaiso_AP_I 65 30 50 -4 0.54 2 Wanatah 67 27 48 -4 0.63 5 56 Wheatfield 68 29 49 -4 0.61 2 Winamac 67 29 49 -4 0.90 6 49 North Central (2) Plymouth 65 31 49 -6 0.47 4 South_Bend 66 35 49 -4 0.51 3 Young_America 68 32 49 -4 1.38 4 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 66 30 48 -5 0.14 4 56 Fort_Wayne 66 32 50 -4 0.14 5 West Central (4) Greencastle 72 30 51 -6 1.44 3 Perrysville 73 30 51 -4 1.06 3 59 Spencer_Ag 71 28 51 -3 1.50 5 Terre_Haute_AFB 72 31 52 -5 1.61 5 W_Lafayette_6NW 69 30 48 -6 0.82 3 59 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 70 35 52 -4 1.58 4 Greenfield 70 33 50 -5 1.55 4 Indianapolis_AP 70 31 52 -3 1.37 4 Indianapolis_SE 70 34 51 -5 0.69 4 Tipton_Ag 69 34 49 -3 2.15 5 58 East Central (6) Farmland 68 34 49 -4 1.23 4 52 New_Castle 66 32 48 -5 0.94 3 Southwest (7) Evansville 77 33 55 -3 1.30 4 Freelandville 71 36 52 -4 1.88 5 Shoals 74 29 54 -2 1.18 4 Stendal 73 37 54 -2 1.83 4 Vincennes_5NE 74 33 53 -4 3.03 5 58 South Central (8) Leavenworth 71 34 54 -2 1.10 5 Oolitic 73 28 53 -2 0.82 5 57 Tell_City 76 40 57 -1 1.51 5 Southeast (9) Brookville 74 35 52 -2 1.14 4 Milan_5NE 70 34 52 -2 1.11 4 Scottsburg 71 32 52 -4 0.97 4 ----------------------------------------------------- Weather Information Table (Continued) Week ending Sunday October 17, 2004 ----------------|-------------------------------- | Accumulation |-------------------------------- | April 1, 2004 thru Station | October 17, 2004 |-------------------------------- | Precipitation |GDD Base 50oF |-------------------------------- | | | | | |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN ------------------------------------------------- Northwest (1) Chalmers_5W 30.56 +7.09 63 3005 -161 Valparaiso_AP_I 21.50 -4.33 68 2826 -70 Wanatah 23.40 -1.39 75 2599 -153 Wheatfield 38.11 +14.16 75 2735 -73 Winamac 30.07 +6.21 81 2867 -29 North Central (2) Plymouth 27.95 +3.33 79 2749 -300 South_Bend 23.56 -0.40 79 2935 +78 Young_America 28.23 +5.04 68 3008 +13 Northeast (3) Columbia_City 25.43 +2.25 80 2757 +31 Fort_Wayne 25.85 +4.62 75 2990 -12 West Central (4) Greencastle 24.31 -2.44 70 2942 -457 Perrysville 22.59 -2.34 57 3254 +99 Spencer_Ag 28.86 +2.15 76 3171 -5 Terre_Haute_AFB 20.73 -4.44 68 3469 +97 W_Lafayette_6NW 24.03 +0.50 54 2971 -18 Central (5) Eagle_Creek_AP 21.08 -2.43 69 3390 +51 Greenfield 24.20 -1.56 68 3184 -27 Indianapolis_AP 28.54 +5.03 64 3499 +160 Indianapolis_SE 23.11 -1.00 58 3218 -116 Tipton_Ag 24.74 +0.57 72 2899 +7 East Central (6) Farmland 22.54 -0.70 67 2934 +114 New_Castle 24.26 -0.43 53 2618 -274 Southwest (7) Evansville 24.02 +0.16 59 3943 +63 Freelandville 25.03 +0.21 62 3510 +26 Shoals 27.32 +0.52 65 3517 +139 Stendal 26.48 -0.04 59 3753 +104 Vincennes_5NE 26.60 +1.78 73 3663 +179 South Central (8) Leavenworth 33.03 +6.09 70 3563 +209 Oolitic 26.92 +1.15 75 3332 +114 Tell_City 32.11 +5.01 60 4048 +289 Southeast (9) Brookville 20.29 -4.55 59 3393 +341 Milan_5NE 28.83 +3.99 96 3299 +247 Scottsburg 33.92 +8.39 64 3396 -73 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.