in-crop-weather


State
Indiana Crop Weather

Week Ending Date
June 9, 2002

Issue
IN-CW2302


Agricultural Summary 

Showers and heavy rain in some areas slowed field operations during the
period, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.
Isolated areas received strong winds and hail. Farmers returned to
planting and other field activities late in the week and good progress
was made during the weekend. Most farmers finished up corn planting last
week and were concentrating on soybean planting and spraying for weed
control. Weeds are a major problem around the state this season. Soils
remain wet in some fields, especially southern regions of the state.
Corn planting is 17 days behind average. Soybean planting is 18 days
behind the average pace. Winter wheat is rapidly turning color in
southern regions of the state. 

						
Field Crops Report

There were 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Ninety-two percent of the
corn acreage is planted compared with 100 percent last year and 99
percent for the 5-year average. By area, 96 percent of the corn acreage
is planted in the north, 93 percent in the central regions and 81
percent in the south. Seventy-two percent of the corn acreage has
emerged compared with 100 percent a year earlier. Emerged corn continues
to improve, aided by sunshine and warmer weather. Seventy-two percent of
the intended soybean acreage is planted compared with 98 percent a year
ago and 93 percent for the average. By area, 81 percent of the soybean
acreage is planted in the north, 73 percent in the central regions and
52 percent in the south. Forty-five percent of the soybean acreage has
emerged compared with 97 percent a year earlier.
 
Other activities during the week included side-dressing corn, spraying,
moving grain to market, hauling manure, mowing roadsides, cutting hay
and taking care of livestock.

Ninety-six percent of the winter wheat acreage is headed compared with
100 percent last year and 96 percent for the average. Winter wheat
condition is rated 54 percent good to excellent, below the 57 percent
last week and below the 62 percent a year ago. First cutting of alfalfa
hay is 53 percent complete compared with 56 percent last year and 64
percent for the average. Transplanting of tobacco is 48 percent complete
compared with 51 percent last year and 52 percent for the average.

 
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report

Pasture condition is rated 23 percent excellent, 59 percent good, 16
percent fair and 2 percent poor. Livestock remain in mostly good
condition. 


                         
                  Crop Progress Table
--------------------------------------------------------
                          : This : Last : Last : 5-Year
     Crop                 : Week : Week : Year :  Avg
--------------------------------------------------------
                                     Percent
Corn Planted                 92     75     100     99
Corn Emerged                 72     40     100     NA
Soybeans Planted             72     45      98     93
Soybeans Emerged             45     18      97     NA
Winter Wheat Headed          96     88     100     96
Tobacco Plants Set           48     24      51     52
Alfalfa First Cutting        53     33      56     64


                    
                   Crop Condition Table
--------------------------------------------------------
                   : Very :      :      :      : Excel-
     Crop          : Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : lent
--------------------------------------------------------
                                  Percent
Corn                   2      8     34     51      5
Soybean                1      6     35     54      4
Pasture                0      2     16     59     23
Winter Wheat 2002      1     13     32     44     10



   Soil Moisture & Days Suitable For Fieldwork Table
-------------------------------------------------------
                   : This : Last : Last
                   : Week : Week : Year
-------------------------------------------------------
                           Percent
Topsoil 
  Very Short          0       0      0 
  Short               3       2      1
  Adequate           58      61     56
  Surplus            39      37     43
Subsoil 
  Very Short          0       0      2
  Short               1       0     12
  Adequate           61      62     65
  Surplus            38      38     21
Days Suitable       4.2     4.8    1.3

Contact information
--Ralph W. Gann, State Statistician
--Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician
  E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov
  http://www.nass.usda.gov/in/index.htm                     




Other Agricultural Comments And News


Switching From Corn to Soybeans - The Disease Angle

*   Second--year soybeans could create problems
    both this year and for several years to come     
    
There has been a lot of discussion recently about the wisdom of
switching from corn to soybeans as the delay in corn planting continues.
Various specialists at Purdue have presented the pros and cons of doing
this. Both the pro and con articles have referred to soybean diseases as
an important consideration in changing planting plans.

If many acres are switched, this will mean planting soybeans in fields
that were planted to soybeans last year. I want to elaborate on what can
happen with diseases if soybeans follow soybeans. The major diseases of
soybeans in Indiana and surrounding states are caused by soilborne
pathogens. These pathogenic microorganisms survive in soil, often
through production of special survival structures. These microorganisms,
in no particular order, include Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst
nematode), Phytophthora sojae (Phytophthora root rot), Fusarium solani
f.sp. glycines (sudden death syndrome), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white
mold), and Phialophora gregata (brown stem rot). The soybean cyst
nematode produces cysts that can survive several years in soil.
Phytophthora sojae produces oospores and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
produces sclerotia. These can also survive for many years in the absence
of soybeans. Fusarium solani f.sp. glycines and Phialophora gregata
survive as mycelium in soybean residue or produce a spore that can
survive in soil.

When these organisms are in a field and a susceptible cultivar of
soybean is grown, they multiply (from a pathogen's point of view, the
disease it causes is secondary; it is simply using the host plant as a
food source to support its growth and multiplication). When a nonhost
such as corn is grown in the field the following year, these pathogens
cannot multiply, and may die out to some extent. The general increase in
problems with all of these diseases in recent years is thought to be a
result of the shift to a soybean-corn rotation in place of rotations in
which soybeans were grown only at longer intervals in a field.

So, what does it mean if a grower goes back into a field with soybeans
in 2002 that was planted to soybeans in 2001? If any of the pathogens
mentioned above was not in this field, a second year of soybeans does
not mean it will suddenly appear. However, all of these pathogens are
widely distributed in Indiana. A danger from second- year soybeans is
that in a field with only a small or moderate pathogen population, and
hence a history of only mild or moderate disease problems, a second year
of soybeans could lead to a great increase in pathogen populations. A
minor problem with disease could become a major problem this year. Once
these high pathogen populations have developed, it can take a long time
to bring them back down, particularly by going back to a rotation in
which soybeans are grown every other year. An even greater danger is to
plant second-year soybeans in a field that already has a history of
serious disease problems.

None of these pathogens is capable of long-distance dispersal under its
own power. The diseases they cause typically appear in some areas of a
field and not others. Anything that moves soil can disperse these
pathogens, however. Farming operations are some of the most efficient
agents of dispersal. Tillage equipment, planters, tractor tires anything
that moves soil or plant material can increase the area in a field that
is affected by a soilborne disease. A second year of soybeans can result
in a greater proportion of a field being infested with a pathogen.

History of disease in a field, choice of soybean cultivar, crop
management practices, and weather all play a role in determining whether
disease will be a problem. But, the risk of a disease problem can only
be greater with second-year soybeans.

Gregory Shaner, Dept of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University.  



                    Weather Information Table
     
                 Week Ending Sunday June 9, 2002
---------------------------------------------------------------
                | Past Week Weather Summary Data   
                |---------------------------------
 Station        |      Air      |           | Avg  
                |  Temperature  |  Precip.  |4 in.  
                |---------------|-----------|Soil 
                |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp 
------------------------------------------------------------- 
Northwest (1)   |                                
Valparaiso_AP_I |82  48   65  -2   0.19    3     
Wanatah         |84  45   65  -2   0.18    4   69
Wheatfield      |85  49   66  -2   0.49    3     
Winamac         |85  49   66  -2   0.98    3   70
North Central(2)|                                
Chalmers_5W     |95  50   68  -2   0.65    5     
Plymouth        |82  48   65  -4   1.03    3     
South_Bend      |81  49   65  -2   0.56    3     
Young_America   |93  51   68  +0   1.71    3     
Northeast (3)   |                                
Columbia_City   |85  45   64  -2   0.73    4   66
Fort_Wayne      |87  48   65  -3   1.10    2     
West Central (4)|                                
Greencastle     |89  50   69  -1   0.19    3     
Perrysville     |92  52   70  +2   0.51    2   72
Terre_Haute_AFB |91  51   72  +3   0.18    1     
W_Lafayette_6NW |94  50   68  +1   1.80    4   72
Central (5)     |                                
Brookville      |92  54   72  +5   1.48    2     
Eagle_Creek_AP  |90  52   71  +2   0.53    2     
Greenfield      |91  51   70  +2   1.98    3     
Indianapolis_AP |90  54   72  +3   0.56    3     
Indianapolis_SE |90  52   70  +1   1.00    3     
Tipton_Ag       |91  50   68  +1   0.48    3   71
East Central (6)|                                
Farmland        |92  49   69  +3   0.62    3   68
New_Castle      |87  49   66  -2   0.89    3     
Southwest (7)   |                                
Evansville      |92  56   76  +4   1.04    2     
Freelandville   |92  54   73  +4   0.51    1     
Shoals          |92  53   72  +4   1.11    2     
Stendal         |91  55   74  +4   1.14    3     
Vincennes_5NE   |92  54   73  +3   0.79    3   67
South Central(8)|                                
Spencer_Ag      |91  55   71  +3   0.41    2     
Tell_City       |94  57   77  +6   1.75    2     
Southeast (9)   |                                
Milan_5NE       |88  49   69  +2   2.33    2     
Scottsburg      |89  53   72  +3   1.79    3     
------------------------------------------------------------- 

-------------------------------------------------------------                                                            
                |        Accumulation           
                |      April 1, 2002 thru       
 Station        |         June 9, 2002         
                | Precipitation   |GDD Base 50oF 
                |      |     |    |     |
                |Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN  
-------------------------------------------------------------
Northwest (1)   |
Valparaiso_AP_I |10.24  +1.17  28   559    -5
Wanatah         |10.60  +2.03  31   503   -10
Wheatfield      | 9.29  +0.90  28   550    +8
Winamac         | 9.87  +1.44  33   537   -57
North Central(2)|
Chalmers_5W     | 8.76  +0.07  35   579   -92
Plymouth        |11.16  +2.28  32   490  -133
South_Bend      | 9.53  +1.32  33   526   -16
Young_America   |10.74  +2.43  30   625   +32
Northeast (3)   |
Columbia_City   |10.07  +1.75  32   497   -11
Fort_Wayne      |11.13  +3.24  29   599   +27
West Central (4)|
Greencastle     |15.38  +5.82  32   636   -90
Perrysville     |14.06  +4.89  33   671   +19
Terre_Haute_AFB |23.89 +14.46  35   799   +80
W_Lafayette_6NW |14.56  +5.88  36   639   +39
Central (5)     |
Brookville      |16.96  +7.35  29   736  +134
Eagle_Creek_AP  |12.70  +3.97  32   745   +36
Greenfield      |15.36  +6.05  36   683   +28
Indianapolis_AP |13.71  +4.98  30   794   +85
Indianapolis_SE |14.49  +5.36  28   693    +8
Tipton_Ag       |11.50  +2.76  32   595   +36
East Central (6)|
Farmland        |11.59  +3.01  37   619   +80
New_Castle      |14.04  +4.36  29   524   -31
Southwest (7)   |
Evansville      |15.32  +5.43  28  1018  +122
Freelandville   |16.12  +6.03  26   830   +74
Shoals          |17.42  +6.78  27   781   +55
Stendal         |17.86  +6.90  27   911   +93
Vincennes_5NE   |17.20  +7.11  29   862  +106
South Central(8)|
Spencer_Ag      |17.09  +7.05  36   677   +24
Tell_City       |16.38  +5.52  22  1080  +245
Southeast (9)   |
Milan_5NE       |20.53 +10.92  34   632   +30
Scottsburg      |17.91  +8.14  31   799   +42
------------------------------------------------------------- 
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 2002:  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.


The INDIANA CROP WEATHER REPORT (USPS 675-770), (ISSN 0442-817X) is
issued weekly April through November by the Indiana Agricultural 
Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105, 
West Lafayette  IN 47906-4145.  Second Class postage paid at 
Lafayette IN.  For information on subscribing, send request to above
address.  POSTMASTER:   Send address change to the Indiana Agricultural
Statistics Service, 1435 Win Hentschel Blvd, Suite B105,  
West Lafayette IN  47906-4145.                           

Source: Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service