in-crop-weather


State
Indiana Crop Weather

Week Ending Date  
October 24, 2004

Issue
IN-CW4304


         Agricultural Summary

Rain slowed field activities in most areas of the
state during the week, according to Indiana
Agricultural Statistics.  Corn and soybean harvest
continued to make some progress in fields where
soils were dry enough to support heavy equipment. 
Corn harvest is 6 days ahead of the average pace. 
Soybean harvest is about 5 days ahead of the
average pace.  Many farmers were visiting local
FSA offices to fill out forms for LDP'S.  Fall tillage
continued to take place in some fields.  The rain
helped winter wheat emergence and growth.

           Field Crops Report                            

There were 2.8 days suitable for fieldwork. 
Virtually all of the corn acreage is mature (safe from
frost).  Seventy-two percent of the corn acreage is
harvested compared with 47 percent last year and
60 percent for the average.  By area, 65 percent of
the corn acreage is harvested in the north, 75
percent in the central region and 83 percent in the
south.  Moisture content of harvested corn is
averaging about 17 percent.  Corn condition is
rated 84 percent good to excellent.  

Virtually all of the soybean acreage is mature
except for some late planted and double cropped
soybean fields.  Eighty-seven percent of the
soybean acreage is harvested compared with 78
percent last year and 81 percent for the average. 
By area, 88 percent of the soybean acreage is
harvested in the north, 92 percent in the central
region and 74 percent in the south.  Moisture
content of harvested soybeans is averaging about
11.5 percent.  

Seventy-six percent of the winter wheat acreage is
planted compared with 80 percent last year and 77
percent for the average pace.   By area, 92 percent
of the winter wheat acreage is planted in the north,
77 percent in the central region and 62 percent in
the south.  Forty-four percent of the winter wheat
acreage is emerged compared with 47 percent last
year and 47 percent for the average pace. 

     Livestock, Pasture and Range Report

Pasture condition is rated 2 percent excellent, 30
percent good, 40 percent fair, 22 percent poor and
6 percent very poor.  Recent rain has helped
improve pastures in most areas of the state.
Livestock are in mostly good condition.

               Crop Progress Table
-----------------------------------------------------
                     : This :  Last :  Last : 5-Year
     Crop            : Week :  Week :  Year :  Avg
-----------------------------------------------------
                             Percent

Corn Harvested		72	60	47	60
Soybeans Harvested	87	82	78	81
Winter Wheat Planted	76	66	80	77
Winter Wheat Emerged	44	21	47	47


               Crop Condition Table
-----------------------------------------------------
             : Very :      :        :       :  Excel-
     Crop    : Poor : Poor :  Fair  :  Good :   lent
----------------------------------------------------- 
                             Percent

Corn		2	 3	11	46	38
Wheat		1	 3	38	51	 7
Pasture		6	22	40	30	 2


   Soil Moisture & Days Suitable
        for Fieldwork Table
--------------------------------------
             : This  : Last  :  Last :
             : Week  : Week  :  Year :
--------------------------------------
                      Percent
Topsoil
  Very Short	  1	  6	  0
  Short		 11	 31	  7
  Adequate	 72	 58	 85
  Surplus	 16	  5	  8

Subsoil
  Very Short	  4	 15	  4
  Short		 26	 38	 10
  Adequate	 66	 46	 81
  Surplus	  4	  1	  5

Days Suitable	2.8	4.2	5.8


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                                    


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Proper Grain Storage Part II:  Insect Pest Management Practices

(This article is a continuation in a series about proper grain storage
practices. Part I appeared on page 4 of the September 27, 2004 Indiana
Crop & Weather Report, Vol. 54, No. 39) 

Sanitation in and around stored grain facilities is the most effective
and economical management practice to prevent insect infestations in
stored grain. Prior to storing grain, all surfaces that may come in
contact with the newly harvested grain should be cleaned. In addition,
storage bins with false floors and aeration ducts may need to be
fumigated or treated with diatomaceous earth. The grain and dust that
accumulate in these areas are excellent sources of insect infestations.
If fumigation is selected as the optimal procedure, seek a licensed
applicator to do the job. Fumigants are highly toxic to humans and must
be applied with proper protective equipment. 

After the storage area is cleaned, an approved residual insecticide
should be applied on both the outside and inside bin walls and on
floors. As the grain is binned, preventative measures include applying a
protectant if the grain will be in storage for more than a year. Grain
protectants kill insects as they crawl about or feed on the treated
grain. However, grain protectants should not be applied to high moisture
grain or above 90 F because they can lose their effectiveness. 

After binning, some grain protectants can be applied as a surface
treatment ("top-dress ")to protect the grain from surface feeders such
as Indianmeal moth and invading beetles. Legal tolerances can be
exceeded if a product is applied both as a grain protectant and top-
dress, so the label MUST be read and followed. 

Storages should not be overfilled. Furthermore, insecticide treatments,
aeration, and fumigation cannot be done effectively when the grain
surface is not level. Above 55-60 F the grain should be inspected at
least every two weeks for insect activity. Plastic grain probe traps are
excellent sampling devices that can help determine insect activity below
the grain surface. To prevent stored grain insects, effective measures
can be as simple as maintaining grain temperatures below 60 F or above
100 F. 

Mold and Mycotoxin Management 

Grain spoilage is the result of microorganisms using the nutrients
within the grain for their own growth and development. During this
process they produce heat and increase the temperature of the
surrounding grain, which may result in hot spots. Heat damage
significantly reduces grain quality. If environmental conditions in the
grain are right, the major storage mold may produce mycotoxins such as
aflatoxin, fumonisin, DON, and zearalenone. These may cause serious
illness and even death when consumed by livestock or humans. The
presence of mold does not mean mycotoxins will be present, but rather
that the potential for their development exists given the right
combination of temperature, moisture content, and storage time. Even
more frustrating is the fact that the absence of mold does not guarantee
a mycotoxin-free commodity. This is because the growth of the mold may
not be extensive enough to cause visible damage, but nevertheless it can
still produce toxins. Generally, broken, ground, and dead grain are more
vulnerable to fungal attack than whole grain; stored grain dried at high
temperatures is more vulnerable to molding than is grain dried at low
temperature; and grain stored for long periods of time is more
vulnerable than freshly harvested grain. Although molds are diverse in
their requirements, all mold growth can be prevented by low moisture,
low temperature, and low oxygen environmental conditions. 

Summary 

Maintaining stored grain quality requires an integrated approach by the
stored grain manager that incorporates a number of tools and pesticides
to prevent quality deterioration. Relying on a single tool to take care
of a problem is an approach of the past that is doomed to fail in the
future. Single solutions, especially if they are chemical in nature, are
under intense public and regulatory scrutiny and will continue to be a
limited option. Prevention is the only acceptable way to maintain grain
quality.

Table 1.  Examples of residual insecticides
          for empty grain bins in Indiana

	  Diatomaeceous
	  EarthReldan 4E 
	  Storcide (does NOT have CODEX MRLs)
	  Tempo SC Ultra

Table 2.  Examples of grain protectants approved
          for application to stored corn in Indiana 

	  Actellic
	  Diacon II
	  Diatomeceous Earth type products (Insecto, Protect It Dryacide)
	  Malathion 6% grain dust or Malathion 5EC


--Linda Mason, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
--Dirk Maier, Extension Agricultural Engineer, Purdue University

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

             Weather Information Table

        Week ending Sunday October 24, 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      70  30  51  -2   1.56     4   52
Valparaiso_AP_I  69  35  50  -2   1.08     3     
Wanatah          70  27  49  -1   1.08     4   53
Wheatfield       71  31  49  +0   1.49     4     
Winamac          66  33  50  +0   1.21     3   50
North Central (2)                                
Plymouth         68  31  50  -2   0.69     3     
South_Bend       67  37  50  -1   0.49     1     
Young_America    66  33  50  -1   1.22     3     
Northeast (3)                                    
Columbia_City    64  32  48  -1   0.86     2   51
Fort_Wayne       66  34  50  +0   1.11     2     
West Central (4)                                 
Greencastle      68  30  53  +0   2.35     5     
Perrysville      73  37  53  +3   1.72     5   56
Spencer_Ag       68  28  53  +3   2.71     4     
Terre_Haute_AFB  71  38  56  +3   2.94     4     
W_Lafayette_6NW  68  33  51  +1   1.22     3   55
Central (5)                                      
Eagle_Creek_AP   68  39  53  +2   1.91     4     
Greenfield       64  36  51  -1   1.90     4     
Indianapolis_AP  68  42  53  +2   2.45     5     
Indianapolis_SE  69  34  51  -1   1.93     4     
Tipton_Ag        66  33  49  -1   0.95     4   53
East Central (6)                                 
Farmland         65  34  49  -1   1.20     3   45
New_Castle       61  31  48  -3   1.16     2     
Southwest (7)                                    
Evansville       76  48  61  +8   1.77     2     
Freelandville    70  36  56  +4   5.10     4     
Shoals           69  38  57  +5   4.97     5     
Stendal          74  38  59  +6   4.33     5     
Vincennes_5NE    70  35  56  +4   3.43     4   54
South Central (8)                                
Leavenworth      69  36  57  +6   3.51     5     
Oolitic          67  34  55  +4   6.01     5   56
Tell_City        76  40  61  +7   2.70     3     
Southeast (9)                                    
Brookville       64  35  52  +2   3.16     4     
Milan_5NE        64  35  53  +3   3.19     5     
Scottsburg       69  35  56  +4   5.17     5     
-----------------------------------------------------


      Weather Information Table (Continued)

      Week ending Sunday October 24, 2004
----------------|--------------------------------
                |        Accumulation           
                |--------------------------------
                |      April 1, 2004 thru       
 Station        |        October 24, 2004         
                |--------------------------------
                | Precipitation   |GDD Base 50oF
                |--------------------------------
                |      |     |    |     |
                |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN   
-------------------------------------------------
Northwest (1)                  
Chalmers_5W      32.12  +8.09  67  3024  -170
Valparaiso_AP_I  22.58  -3.93  71  2843   -80
Wanatah          24.48  -0.89  79  2611  -162
Wheatfield       39.60 +15.16  79  2750   -79
Winamac          31.28  +6.81  84  2879   -40
North Central (2)                            
Plymouth         28.64  +3.39  82  2765  -309
South_Bend       24.05  -0.57  80  2951   +70
Young_America    29.45  +5.63  71  3021    +5
Northeast (3)                                
Columbia_City    26.29  +2.54  82  2765   +17
Fort_Wayne       26.96  +5.17  77  3007   -20
West Central (4)                             
Greencastle      26.66  -0.76  75  2970  -463
Perrysville      24.31  -1.20  62  3284  +100
Spencer_Ag       31.57  +4.22  80  3203    +0
Terre_Haute_AFB  23.67  -2.11  72  3510  +105
W_Lafayette_6NW  25.25  +1.09  57  2988   -26
Central (5)                                  
Eagle_Creek_AP   22.99  -1.14  73  3417   +46
Greenfield       26.10  -0.36  72  3200   -40
Indianapolis_AP  30.99  +6.86  69  3528  +157
Indianapolis_SE  25.04  +0.29  62  3238  -127
Tipton_Ag        25.69  +0.82  76  2913    -2
East Central (6)                             
Farmland         23.74  -0.06  70  2946  +105
New_Castle       25.42  +0.03  55  2622  -292
Southwest (7)                                
Evansville       25.79  +1.29  61  4024  +101
Freelandville    30.13  +4.64  66  3556   +37
Shoals           32.29  +4.75  70  3566  +154
Stendal          30.81  +3.59  64  3817  +132
Vincennes_5NE    30.03  +4.54  77  3706  +187
South Central (8)                            
Leavenworth      36.54  +8.84  75  3616  +229
Oolitic          32.93  +6.39  80  3372  +125
Tell_City        34.81  +7.02  63  4124  +322
Southeast (9)                                
Brookville       23.45  -2.09  63  3414  +337
Milan_5NE        32.02  +6.48 101  3323  +246
Scottsburg       39.09 +12.86  69  3442   -61 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
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.