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Corn and soybean planting and emergence are lagging behind historical trends in Indiana, and the same goes for winter wheat progress. The delay can be chalked up to weather conditions described as “cooler and wetter than they have been in a long time.”
Here’s a closer look at the numbers from USDA’s latest Crop Progress report, along with some expert perspectives.
Corn
As of June 15, Indiana farmers had planted 96% of the state’s corn crop, according to USDA. The five-year planting average is 99%. The crop was 89% emerged the week that ended June 15, USDA said, which is notably behind the five-year average of 94%.
The condition of Indiana’s corn was mostly good/excellent: 67% of the crop fell into those two categories. A quarter of the crop was rated fair, while 8% was rated poor/very poor by USDA.
Indiana Agronomist Chad Threewits said the corn in the northern part of the state that was planted under excellent condition looks “really good.” But that’s not the case statewide.
“Central Indiana has had too much rain since planting, and many fields are uneven with yellow corn showing up between tile lines,” Threewits said.
Courtesy of Chad Threewits
“Rainfall was excessive in many areas that caused ponding,” Threewits said of the week that ended June 15. “There are drowned out spots [of corn] that likely won’t get replanted now,” he added.
Soybeans
Indiana’s soybean crop progress, like that of corn, is notably behind historical trends. Planting reached 93%, behind the five-year average of 96%, while emergence reached 85%, behind the five-year average of 88%.
Like the state’s corn crop, Indiana’s lagging soybean progress can be attributed to the weather. Bill Backus, host of the BASF Spilling the Beans podcast, described weather conditions in Indiana as “cooler and wetter than they have been in a long time.”
About two-thirds of the soybean crop was rated good/excellent by USDA. Twenty-six percent was rated fair, and 8% was rated poor/very poor.
Threewits shared some repercussions of the lack of dry weather: “Weedy fields are showing up everywhere due to the inability to get them sprayed. Areas that have had too much rain have poor stands showing up due to ponding.”
On Monday, Threewits was looking ahead to more favorable conditions: “Some warm, sunny weather will help crop conditions this week.”
Courtesy of Syngenta
Winter Wheat
Following the trend of corn and soybeans, Indiana’s winter wheat progress was reported by USDA behind five-year averages. By June 15, heading had reached 94%, although the five-year average for this point in the season is 98%.
Typically by this time, Indiana farmers have started harvesting the winter wheat crop. The five-year average is 5%, and 11% of the crop had been harvested by this time last year. Yet, USDA reported 0% winter wheat harvested in Indiana as of June 15.
The condition of Indiana’s winter wheat crop was rated as follows:
- Good/excellent: 69%
- Fair: 25%
- Poor/very poor: 6%
