in-crop-weather
                    INDIANA WEEKLY WEATHER & CROPS

Released: Monday, 3PM Sep 20, 1999 Vol. 49, #25  West Lafayette, IN

       CROP REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 19

Corn and soybean harvest made good progress last week, aided by
favorable weather conditions.    Corn harvest is more than two weeks
ahead of average.  Field conditions remain very dry as precipitation
has been virtually non-existent during the last few weeks, according 
to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.   Major activities 
during the week included harvesting tobacco, tilling soils, seeding 
winter wheat, preparing grain bins and care of livestock.

                                  Corn

Corn condition is rated 27 percent good to excellent compared with 62
percent at this time last year.  Virtually all of the corn has reached
the dent stage compared with 96 percent last year and 89 percent for
the 5-year average.  Eighty-three percent of the corn acreage is 
mature compared with 69 percent last year and 47 percent for average.  
By region, 76 percent of the corn acreage is mature in the north, 86
percent in the central and 88 percent in the south.  Fourteen percent
of the corn acreage has been harvested compared with 7 percent last
year and 5 percent for the average.  Moisture content of harvested 
corn is averaging around 19 percent.
                                    
                                Soybeans
                                    
Soybean condition declined from last week and is rated 21 percent 
good to excellent compared with 62 percent last year.  Eighty-five 
percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared with 
84 percent last year and 56 percent for average.  One-half of the 
soybean crop is mature compared with 55 percent a year ago and 26 
percent for the average.  By region, 51 percent of the soybean 
acreage is mature in the north, 54 percent in the central and 
43 percent in the south.   Twelve percent of the soybean acreage 
has been harvested compared with 8 percent last year and 4 percent 
for average.  Moisture content of harvested soybeans is averaging 
11.5 percent. 

                               Other Crops

Pasture condition was rated 1 percent good, 21 percent fair, 34 
percent poor and 44 percent very poor.  Seeding of winter wheat 
is 2 percent complete, behind the 5-year average of 4 percent 
complete at this time.  Tobacco harvest is 86 percent complete 
compared with 66 percent for the 5-year average.

                      Days Suitable and Soil Moisture
                                     
For the week ending Friday, 7.0 days were rated suitable for 
fieldwork.  Topsoil moisture was rated 66 percent very short, 
31 percent short and 3 percent adequate.  Subsoil moisture was rated 
62 percent very short, 34 percent short and 4 percent adequate.  

                          Crop Progress
---------------------------------------------------
                     : This : Last: Last : 5-Year
     Crop            : Week : Week: Year :  Avg
---------------------------------------------------
                               Percent
Corn Mature             83     52    69     47
Corn Harvested          14      7     7      5
Soybeans Shedding Lv    85     57    84     56
Soybeans Mature         50     19    55     26
Soybeans Harvested      12      3     8      4
Tobacco Harvested       86     78    73     66
Winter Wheat Seeded      2     NA     4      4

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

Corn                9     21     43     25      2
Soybeans           10     24     45     19      2
Pasture            44     34     21      1      0

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

Topsoil
  Very Short     66      62     35
  Short          31      32     50
  Adequate        3       6     15
  Surplus         0       0      0

Subsoil
  Very Short     62      54     24
  Short          34      39     47
  Adequate        4       7     29
  Surplus         0       0      0

--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

                                      
      New Wheat Variety INW9811 is Resistant to Hessian Fly Biotype 'L'
                  that is Common in Indiana Fly Populations

*  Seed of new variety will be available for planting in
   fall 1999
*  Planting after the fly-free date is a key management 
   strategy for reducing Hessian fly problems
*  Highest levels of infestation occur in southwest Indiana
     
Although many wheat varieties grown in Indiana have the H5 or H6 genes
for Hessian fly resistance, this resistance is ineffective in
controlling Hessian fly biotype L which is predominant in fly
populations throughout the state. However, the wheat variety INW9811
released by Purdue University, in cooperation with USDA, ARS in 1998 is
resistant to Biotype L.  This variety is well adapted to the mid-south
area, including southern Indiana and Illinois and will provide wheat
growers in these areas with excellent protection against the Hessian
fly.  In field tests conducted in northern Alabama and northeastern
Arkansas, INW9811 also demonstrated excellent resistance to Hessian fly
populations that contained little or no biotype L. Seed will be
available to Indiana growers for planting in fall, 1999.  Interested
seed personnel can contact Purdue Ag Alumni Seed for more information
and availability of seed stocks.

Although Hessian fly populations remain low throughout Indiana, the
potential for flies to infest fall-planted winter wheat still exists,
especially in the southwestern counties.  None of the commercial wheat
fields observed in fall 1998 showed signs of Hessian fly damage, but
flaxseeds were present in a small percentage of dead or damaged
tillers.  Much of the fall fly population can be avoided by planting
after the fly-free date.  This is key to avoiding subsequent
infestation by the spring brood. Additionally, it has been shown that
following the fly-free date will help reduce wheat disease problems and
reduce winter kill from excessive growth.  To determine the fly-free
date for your area of the state, refer to the enclosed map. Crop
rotation, where wheat following wheat is avoided, also is one of the
key management strategies for reducing Hessian fly problems.  The
Hessian fly passes the summer in the stubble of the current wheat crop. 
Plowing the stubble results in the destruction of the pest.  Volunteer
wheat, the wheat seedlings sprouting in the fall from grain left in the
field during threshing, germinates and begins growing just in time for
the fall emergence of the Hessian fly.  These plants are readily
infested resulting in a rapid build-up of  the population.  The use of
resistant varieties, in combination with the above pest management
strategies, increases the chance for a fly-free crop.

Specific characteristics and yield potential of varieties 
presently grown in Indiana can be determined by consulting 
Purdue Station Bulletin No. B 784 "Performance of Public and 
Private Small Grains in Indiana -1999", web access:
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/smgrain/variety/99s mgbul.htm 
or talk to your seed dealer.

--Rich Edwards and Roger Ratcliffe, Purdue University

                   Weather Data
        For Week ending September 19, 1999
--------------------------------------------------
                | Past Week Weather Summary Data   
                |---------------------------------
 Station        |      Air      |           | Avg  
                |  Temperature  |  Precip.  |4 in.  
                |---------------|-----------|Soil 
                |Hi |Lo |Avg|DFN|Total |Days|Temp 
-------------------------------------------------- 
Northwest(1)                                   
Valparaiso_Ag    81  42  60  -6   0.14     1     
Wanatah          87  35  58  -6   0.15     1   71
Wheatfield       88  42  61  -4   0.17     1     
Winamac          85  41  59  -6   0.09     1   72
North Central(2)                               
Logansport       87  44  62  -4   0.09     1     
Plymouth         86  41  60  -5   0.10     1     
South_Bend       88  42  61  -4   0.12     1     
Young_America    85  43  62  -3   0.00     0     
Northeast(3)                                   
Bluffton         89  43  61  -5   0.10     1   67
Fort_Wayne       90  41  61  -5   0.10     1     
West Central(4)                                
Crawfordsville   91  34  59  -8   0.15     1   67
Perrysville      89  40  61  -5   0.13     1   75
Terre_Haute_Ag   93  43  65  -3   0.13     1   75
W_Lafayette_6NW  89  38  61  -5   0.11     1   72
Central(5)                                     
Castleton        90  43  63  -5   0.05     2     
Greenfield       88  45  62  -5   0.10     1     
Indianapolis_AP  91  43  64  -4   0.02     1     
Indianapolis_SE  88  41  62  -6   0.10     1     
Tipton_Ag        91  38  61  -4   0.08     1   66
East Central(6)                                
Farmland         92  35  60  -5   0.08     1   63
New_Castle       88  38  60  -5   0.10     2     
Southwest(7)                                   
Dubois_Ag        92  40  63  -5   0.03     1   73
Evansville       91  43  65  -5   0.09     1     
Freelandville    89  46  64  -5   0.00     0     
Shoals           91  42  62  -6   0.05     1     
Vincennes_5NE    89  44  64  -4   0.03     1   71
South Central(8)                               
Bloomington      91  45  64  -4   0.06     1     
Tell_City        92  48  66  -4   0.01     1     
Southeast(9)                                   
Butlerville      92  37  62  -6   0.04     1   72
Scottsburg       92  40  63  -6   0.00     0     
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
                |        Accumulation           
                |    April 1, 1999 thru       
 Station        |    September 19, 1999            
                |---------------------------------
                |Precipitation|  GDD Base 50oF   
                |-------------|-------------------
                | Total | DFN |Days|Total| DFN  
--------------------------------------------------
Northwest(1)                                     
Valparaiso_Ag     18.47  -4.11  60  2935  +297
Wanatah           18.18  -3.71  61  2469   -53
Wheatfield        23.30  +2.02  53  2953  +374
Winamac           18.59  -2.70  49  2955  +300
North Central(2) 
Logansport        18.18  -2.35  63  3021  +279
Plymouth          21.16  -0.45  65  2912  +122
South_Bend        17.82  -3.16  53  3077  +457
Young_America     14.52  -6.01  58  3048  +306
Northeast(3)     
Bluffton          17.27  -3.14  55  3054  +243
Fort_Wayne        15.40  -3.60  58  3006  +264
West Central(4)  
Crawfordsville    15.08  -7.17  60  2815  -117
Perrysville       15.43  -7.12  54  3064  +189
Terre_Haute_Ag    16.71  -5.88  57  3527  +461
W_Lafayette_6NW   19.26  -1.83  56  3050  +323
Central(5)       
Castleton         16.79  -4.86  69  3208  +176
Greenfield        14.00  -9.16  62  3185  +262
Indianapolis_AP   15.18  -6.00  59  3383  +342
Indianapolis_SE   14.60  -7.05  65  3106   +74
Tipton_Ag         14.62  -6.79  54  2828  +182
East Central(6)  
Farmland          16.01  -4.84  60  2943  +358
New_Castle        15.97  -6.22  61  2739   +90
Southwest(7)     
Dubois_Ag         19.27  -5.13  54  3363  +265
Evansville        18.76  -2.55  55  3644  +122
Freelandville     21.47  -0.74  53  3344  +177
Shoals            18.41  -5.64  49  3195  +124
Vincennes_5NE     20.85  -1.36  70  3470  +303
South Central(8) 
Bloomington       15.84  -7.03  50  3379  +267
Tell_City         16.38  -8.11  47  3792  +395
Southeast(9)     
Butlerville       17.76  -4.27  66  3246   +90
Scottsburg        15.19  -7.70  46  3441  +286
--------------------------------------------------
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 1999:  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.