Heavy Rainfall Drenches Northern Indiana
Published: Friday, October 4, 2019
The following is from the Indiana Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Sept. 29.
Hot weather helped push crops towards maturity with harvest on the horizon.
Heavy rainfall in the northern part of the state aided crop development but delayed the harvest of early planted fields.
On the contrary, central and southern parts of the state saw very little precipitation, causing further concern regarding late planted crops.
The average temperature for the week was 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 7.8 degrees above normal.
The amount of rainfall varied from .04 inches to 6.57 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was 1.35 inches.
There were 6 days suitable for fieldwork.
Harvest of some early planted corn and soybean fields got underway last week where weather allowed. Seed corn and silage harvest continued to progress, as did tomato harvest.
Hay growth had slowed with the dry weather, but some harvest progress was made. Cover crops were being planted on harvested and prevent plant ground.
Other activities for the week included applying fall fertilizer, herbicide applications, tile repair and preparing equipment for harvest.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 20 percent; short, 32 percent; adequate, 41 percent; surplus, 7 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 16 percent; short, 35 percent; adequate, 44 percent; surplus, 5 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2018 and 5-year average) showed: corn, dented 84, 73, 100, 97; corn, mature 41, 26, 90, 76; corn, harvested for grain 8, 3, 26, 19; soybeans, dropping leaves 49, 26, 88, 80; soybeans, harvested 6, 1, 22, 19; winter wheat, planted 7, 2, 16, 12; alfalfa hay, third cutting 94, 91, 100, 99; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting 49, 36, 73, 68; other hay, third cutting 84, 79, 91, 90; other hay, fourth cutting 24, 14, 48, NA.
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