Released: Monday, 3PM  April 24, 2000  Vol. 50, #3 West Lafayette, IN 
                          
           CROP REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING APRIL 23

Farmers welcomed the rain last week.  Both topsoil and subsoil
moisture ratings improved significantly from a week ago,
according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.  Most
areas in the state received more than an inch of precipitation. 
Fieldwork and planting operations continued where soil
conditions permitted use of equipment.   

                      Winter Wheat

Eighty percent of the winter wheat acreage is jointed, compared
with 71 percent last year and 51 percent for the 5-year
average.  Wheat condition was virtually unchanged from a week
earlier. Winter wheat condition is rated 75 percent good to
excellent, compared with 81 percent at this time a year ago.
                            
                  Seed Bed Preparation
                            
Eleven percent of the corn acreage is planted compared with 5
percent last year and 6 percent for the 5-year average.  A few
fields of corn have emerged in the southwestern areas of the
state.  Two percent of the soybean acreage is planted, on par
with a year ago at this time. Field activities were slowed last
week in many areas.   Farmers continued to apply fertilizer and
nitrogen, prepare soils, spread chemicals and prepare equipment
for planting.  

                Other Crops and Livestock

Availability of hay and roughage supplies was rated 6 percent
surplus, 69 percent adequate 20 percent short and 5 percent
very short.  Pasture condition was rated 6 percent excellent,
46 percent good, 32 percent fair, 12 percent poor and 4 percent
very poor.  Livestock are in mostly good condition.  Calving
and lambing remain active.

              Days Suitable and Soil Moisture
                             
For the week ending Friday, 2.7 days were rated suitable for
fieldwork.   Topsoil moisture was rated 3 percent very short,
13 percent short, 66 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. 
 Subsoil moisture was rated 15 percent very short, 39 percent
short, 43 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.  

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

Corn Planted            11      5    5      6
Soybeans Planted         2      0    2     NA
Winter Wheat Jointed    80     65   71     51
Winter Wheat Headed      0      0    1      1

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

Winter Wheat 4/23   1     4      20     54      21
Winter Wheat  4/16  1     3      21     57      18
Winter Wheat 1999   0     3      16     59      22
Pasture             4    12      32     46       6

             Soil Moisture
-----------------------------------
               : This : Last : Last
               : Week : Week : Year
------------------------------------
                       Percent

Topsoil
  Very Short       3     16      0
  Short           13     33      2
  Adequate        66     45     45
  Surplus         18      6     53

Subsoil
  Very Short      15     32      0
  Short           39     42      5
  Adequate        43     24     62
  Surplus          3      2     33

--Ralph W. Gann, State Statistician
--Bud Bever, Agricultural Statistician
  E-Mail Address: nass-in@nass.usda.gov
  http://info.aes.purdue.edu/agstat/nass.html

                          
                  Wheat Disease Prospects

*  So far, no major disease problems in wheat.

As of now, the wheat crop in Indiana does not appear to have
major disease problems.  There have been isolated reports of
yellowing, which is most likely the result of infection by one
or both of two common soilborne viruses - wheat spindle streak
mosaic virus and soilborne wheat mosaic virus.  Symptoms of
these viruses appear during periods of wide temperature
fluctuation.  Considering the widely fluctuating temperatures
that characterized weather this spring, we might have expected
to see much more infection by these viruses.  Both viruses
survive in a soilborne fungus (Polymyxa graminis) and are
transmitted to wheat when this fungus infects roots. Infection
of roots requires wet soils.  The dry conditions during the
fall, winter, and early spring probably were unfavorable for
infection by the fungus, and therefore unfavorable for
infection by the viruses.

Two of the most destructive diseases of wheat in Indiana -
Septoria blotch and Stagonospora blotch - are unlikely to be a
serious problem unless there is an abrupt change in weather
pattern very soon. These pathogens blight foliage and one of
them also blights heads (glume blotch).  Both require several
prolonged wet periods during the growing season to cause severe
infection.  Even though we have had some rains recently
throughout the state, these have not been of the type that is
so favorable for leaf blotch -- a "steady drizzle" that
persists for 2 or 3 days.

Leaf and stem rust are always a threat, but most varieties have
good to moderate resistance, so a widespread epidemic is
unlikely.  Unlike Septoria and Stagonospora, the leaf and stem
rust fungi do not require prolonged wet periods to infect.  A
few hours of dew during the night are sufficient for infection. 
Stem rust requires warmer temperatures than leaf rust for
optimum development, so we usually only see this disease when
wheat maturity is delayed.  The rapid development of wheat we
are seeing this year, because of the unusually warm spring,
makes it unlikely that stem rust will have a chance to develop
before the crop matures.  Leaf rust is more common in Indiana
than is stem rust.  If a variety happens to be susceptible to
leaf rust, it could suffer damage.

Powdery mildew is favored by lush, dense crop canopies, high
rates of nitrogen fertilizer, and cloudy and humid weather.  I
have not seen any significant powdery mildew this year, nor
have I received any calls about it or seen it on specimens
submitted to the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.  Many
varieties grown in Indiana have a degree of resistance to
powdery mildew, but a few are susceptible.  Powdery mildew can
be a rather insidious disease.  Under our conditions, it
usually does not progress up to the flag leaf.  So, inspection
of a field while driving down the road, or even while standing
at the edge, may fail to detect what may be a severe infection. 
It is necessary to go out into the field and look beneath the
topmost leaves.  Even though the upper canopy may be a deep
green and the stand appears thick, there can be a lot of
powdery mildew down in the canopy.  Main culms seem to
withstand infection fairly well, but powdery mildew can
essentially shut many tillers off at about the time they  are 
heading.  Heads  fail  to  emerge, or cease development shortly
after emergence and produce no grain.  Severe powdery mildew
can greatly reduce the number of productive heads per acre.

As I mentioned at the outset, the wheat crop appears to be
generally healthy this year.  However, it is still a good idea
to walk fields and scout for any problems.  Resistant varieties
are the main strategy for managing these wheat diseases.  If a
problem is noted, think about changing varieties next year. 
Early scouting will also allow timely application of a
fungicide if a problem is starting to develop.

--Gregory Shaner, Purdue University

                    Weather Data
          Week ending Sunday April 23, 2000
--------------------------------------------------
                | Past Week Weather Summary Data   
                |---------------------------------
 Station        |      Air      |           | Avg  
                |  Temperature  |  Precip.  |4 in.  
                |---------------|-----------|Soil 
                |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp 
-------------------------------------------------- 
Northwest (1)                                    
Valparaiso_Ag    63  37  50  -2   2.17     6     
Wanatah          70  34  49  -1   2.60     5   55
Wheatfield       72  35  50  -1   1.90     6     
Winamac          70  35  50  -2   1.75     5   53
North Central (2)                                
Logansport       75  36  52  +1   1.19     6     
Plymouth         69  33  50  -4   3.00     5     
South_Bend       67  32  49  -3   2.58     6     
Young_America    72  35  52  +2   0.72     6     
Northeast (3)                                    
Bluffton         68  36  51  -2   1.77     5   50
Fort_Wayne       66  34  51  -1   1.44     5     
West Central (4)                                 
Crawfordsville   73  33  52  -3   1.11     5   54
Perrysville      72  34  53  -1   1.56     3   56
Terre_Haute_Ag   77  36  53  -2   0.93     4   57
W_Lafayette_6NW  71  35  53  +2   0.67     5   54
Central (5)                                      
Castleton        75  37  53  -1   1.27     4     
Greenfield       73  37  53  +0   1.15     5     
Greensburg       76  38  53  -1   1.64     4     
Indianapolis_AP  75  35  54  -1   1.41     5     
Indianapolis_SE  74  36  53  -2   1.34     4     
Tipton_Ag        75  34  52  +1   0.48     5   54
East Central (6)                                 
Farmland         75   3  49  -2   1.50     5   49
New_Castle       72  34  50  -2   1.10     4     
Southwest (7)                                    
Dubois_Ag        78  38  54  -3   0.91     5   57
Evansville       78  34  56  -2   0.28     2        
Freelandville    76  38  53  -3   1.44     4     
Shoals           78  36  53  -3   1.13     4     
Vincennes_5NE    80  36  54  -2   1.10     4   52
South Central (8)                                
Bloomington      76  35  53  -3   1.63     5     
Tell_City        79  38  55  -3   0.20     2     
Southeast (9)
Scottsburg       77  37  55  -1   2.16     3     
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
                |        Accumulation           
                |    April 1, 2000 thru       
 Station        |      April 23, 2000            
                |---------------------------------
                |Precipitation|  GDD Base 50oF   
                |-------------|-------------------
                | Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN  
--------------------------------------------------
Northwest (1)   
Valparaiso_Ag     4.05  +0.99  11    34   -17
Wanatah           3.77  +0.84   9    36    -1
Wheatfield        2.96  +0.03  10    43    +3
Winamac           2.60  -0.25   6    45    -9
North Central (2)
Logansport        1.71  -0.93  12    49    -3
Plymouth          4.24  +1.27  10    43   -18
South_Bend        3.62  +0.63  14    44    +0
Young_America     1.20  -1.44   9    74   +22
Northeast (3)   
Bluffton          2.35  -0.51   8    52    -5
Fort_Wayne        2.07  -0.54   8    57    +9
West Central (4)
Crawfordsville    1.83  -1.32  10    47   -34
Perrysville       1.99  -0.98   5    60   -10
Terre_Haute_Ag    2.88  -0.04   8    77   -12
W_Lafayette_6NW   1.06  -1.76   8    72   +17
Central (5)     
Castleton         3.36  +0.54  12    65    -7
Greenfield        4.08  +1.02  13    69    +6
Greensburg        4.78  +1.72  11    74    +0
Indianapolis_AP   3.73  +0.94  12    88    +7
Indianapolis_SE   4.05  +1.23   9    67    -5
Tipton_Ag         1.12  -1.87  10    52   +10
East Central (6)
Farmland          4.45  +1.71  13    52   +14
New_Castle        3.77  +0.66  14    42    +0
Southwest (7)   
Dubois_Ag         3.33  +0.13  11   107    -2
Evansville        1.78  -1.25   6   137    -8
Freelandville     3.98  +1.10   7    79   -22
Shoals            2.79  -0.28   9    80   -20
Vincennes_5NE     2.40  -0.48   9    82   -19
South Central (8)
Bloomington       3.87  +0.94   9    70   -29
Tell_City         2.43  -1.25   7   116   -12
Southeast (9)
Scottsburg        4.26  +1.07   9    93    -8

-----------------------------------------------------------
DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period).
GDD = Growing Degree Days.
Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches.
Precipitation Days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more.
Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit.
 
Copyright 2000:  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.