Released: Monday, 3PM  September 29, 1997  Vol. 47, #26  West Lafayette, IN

         CROP REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 28

Corn and soybean harvest continue to progress, according to the Indiana
Agricultural Statistics Service.  Soybean harvest has made the best
progress, particularly in the west central and central districts. 
Moisture content of harvested soybeans is reportedly running around 14
percent.  Moisture content of harvested corn is still around 30 percent. 
Harvest of both crops has been slowed by scattered showers across much
of the state.

                          Corn

Corn condition is rated 54 percent good to excellent, down slightly from
a week earlier.  Ninety-one percent of the corn acreage has reached the
dent stage, behind 92 percent last year and the 98 percent average for
this date.  Fifty-two percent of the corn crop is mature, slightly ahead
of 51 percent mature last year, but behind the 5-year average of 67
percent.  Four percent of the corn acreage has been harvested, behind
the 8 percent average.
                            
                        Soybeans

Condition of the soybean crop is rated 58 percent good to excellent,
down slightly from a week ago. Eighty-four percent of the acreage is
shedding leaves, well ahead of 53 percent last year, and slightly ahead
of the 79 percent average.  Fifty-three percent of the soybean crop is
reported to be mature, ahead of the 48 percent average.  Six percent of
the soybean acreage has been harvested, behind 12 percent for the 5-year
average.  

                        Other Crops

Third cutting of alfalfa is 95 percent complete.  Tobacco harvest is 60
percent complete, behind 85 percent last year and the 5-year average of
88 percent. 

              Days Suitable and Soil Moisture

For the week ending Friday, 5.7 days were rated suitable for fieldwork. 
Topsoil moisture was rated  9 percent very short, 23 percent short, 64
percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.  Subsoil moisture was rated 12
percent very short, 23 percent short, 62 percent adequate and 3 percent
surplus.  

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

Corn Harvested            4        2        5         8
Corn Mature              52       33       51        67
Corn Dent                91       86       92        98
Soybeans Harvested        6        1        3        12
Soybeans Mature          53       22       18        48
Soybeans Shedding Lvs    84       62       53        79
Winter Wheat Seeded      11        5        7         9
Winter Wheat Emerged      4        2        0         1
  

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

Corn                 3         9      64       46        8
Soybeans             2         7      33       47       11
Pasture              7        20      37       33        3

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

Topsoil
  Very Short                9           7            2
  Short                    23          28            7
  Adequate                 64          58           72
  Surplus                   4           7           19

Subsoil
  Very Short               12          10            4
  Short                    23          29           24
  Adequate                 62          57           66
  Surplus                   3           4            6

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

Variety Selection and Seeding Rate for Soft Red Winter Wheat

* Plant high quality seed of several varieties
* Adjust seeding rate according to seed size
* Optimum plant population is around 30-35 plants per square foot

When choosing among the many public and private wheat varieties that 
are available, select those varieties that have the combination of 
traits that best fit your production system.   In addition to yield, 
certain traits dealing with disease resistance, winter hardiness, and 
earliness may also be important.  It is likely that not any one single 
variety will contain all the traits that you consider important.  
Therefore, plant several varieties to help spread the risk associated 
with the various diseases and environmental stresses of your area.  
Consult sources of information such as the Performance of Public and 
Private Small Gains available from the Purdue Cooperative Extension 
Service in your county.  This publication is also available over the 
WEB at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/agronomy/agry-ext.htm.  Then click 
on "Performance of Public and Private Small Grains in Indiana, 1997" 
to go to that information.

Seed might also be saved from the previous season if it is high in
quality and not contaminated with seed borne diseases like smut.  Seed
should be professionally cleaned to remove light, shriveled, low 
quality kernels.  A seed treatment can also be applied.  Good quality 
seed should have at least 85 to 95 percent germination.

The seeding rate for soft red winter wheat should be adjusted for seed
size.  Seed size can vary from less than 12,000 seeds per pound to more
than 16,000 seeds per pound.  Accordingly seeding rates can also vary
from as little as 90 pounds per acre for very small seeded varieties to
as much as 165 pounds per acre for large seeded varieties (see table). 
Optimum plant population is around 1.3 to 1.5 million plants per acre. 
The higher rates should be used for late planted wheat (i.e., more than
3 weeks after the Hessian fly free date).

Seed should be sown 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches deep.  This becomes especially
important in no-till situations with heavy residue.  It is important to
get the seed through the residue and into the soil to assure good seed
to soil contact and subsequent uniform germination and emergence.  Wheat
will be more winter hardy and less susceptible to winter heaving if well
established by proper seeding in a timely manner.  Adequate nitrogen and
phosphate fertilizer is also important for seeding establishment in the
fall.  Around 20 to 25 pounds nitrogen per acre and phosphate fertilizer
according to soil test should be applied at seeding.

Seeding Rates for Winter Wheat Based on Seed Size 1/
-----------------------------------------------------
             |         Desired Population
-----------------------------------------------------

  Number of  |  Seed  |  1.1a  |  1.3a  |  1.5a
  Seeds/Lb.  |  Size  |   25b  |    30b |   35b
----------------------------------------------------- 
                 ----Pounds Seed per Acre----
10,000         Large     120      145       165
12,000         Large     100      120       140
14,000         Medium     85      100       120
16,000         Small      75       90       105

1/ Seeding rates adjusted to 90 percent field emergence.
a Million plants per acre.
b Plants per square foot.

--Charles Mansfield, Purdue University

   Average Daily Values for week ending Monday morning September 29, 1997
_____________________________________________________________________

              |    Air   |    Precipitation    | Growing Degree Days 
Station       |   Temp   |Past| Since |DN Since|Past| Since |DN Since
              |Max|Min|DN|Week|April 1| April 1|Week|April 1| April 1
_____________________________________________________________________

Wanatah         71  44 -2  .35   21.89   -1.02   78    2533    -151
Kentland        73  47 -2  .33   17.55   -5.21   85    2830    -180
Winamac         71  47 -1  .32   23.48   +1.35   78    2691    -142
South Bend      68  48 -2  .36   18.05   -3.93   71    2650    -123
Waterford Mills 71  47 -1  .34   24.85   +3.97   77    2645    -169
Prairie Heights 70  47 +0  .25   20.94    -.71   74    2599     +76
Columbia City   71  47 +0  .29   23.74   +2.25   77    2669     -24
Fort Wayne      71  47 -2  .35   26.88   +7.17   78    2673    -242
Bluffton        71  48 -2  .25   25.89   +4.70   78    2769    -222
West Lafayette  75  48 +0  .34   18.49   -3.40   94    2861     -36
Lafayette       74  48 +0  .41   17.31   -4.58   89    2966     +70
Perrysville     74  49 -2  .45   16.37   -7.96   91    2925    -404
Crawfordsville  75  44 -2  .38   17.18   -4.19   91    2752    -171
Terre Haute 8s  76  51 +1  .38   19.45   -4.09  104    3203     -40
Tipton          72  45 -2  .33   19.16   -3.15   82    2661    -175
Indianapolis    73  51 +0  .34   14.57   -7.44   94    3048    -171
Indian Creek    74  49 +0  .28   18.03   -4.75   90    3068      +4
Farmland        71  48 -1  .36   18.40   -3.26   78    2738     -35
Liberty         69  47 -3  .19   17.74   -5.47   70    2957     -85
Vincennes       75  49 -1  .45   24.59   +1.43   97    3227    -102
Dubois          75  49 -2  .50   23.68   -1.67   93    3132    -137
Evansville      76  52 -1  .47   16.32   -5.92  102    3379    -258
Bedford         73  46 -2  .30   26.47   +2.52   86    3046    -104
Louisville      76  56 +1  .39   20.24   -3.10  118    3490    -120
Butlerville     74  45 -5  .15   22.17    -.72   87    2975    -387
DN = departure from normal.                                                             
  
Growing Degree Days = daily mean - 50 (below 50 adjusted to 50, 
above 86 adjusted to 86.)  
--------------------------------------------------------------------