Corn Planting Reaches 80% Mark
Published: Friday, May 29, 2020
The following is from the Indiana Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending May 24.
Heavy rains early in the week saturated fields, limiting any planting opportunities to the latter half of the week. Soil moisture levels increased slightly following rain events in the first half of the week.
The average temperature for the week was 64.1 degrees Fahrenheit, .7 degrees below normal.
The amount of rainfall varied from .32 inches to 3.08 inches over the week. The statewide average precipitation was 2.18 inches.
There were 2.4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Above average precipitation slowed planting progress last week, though corn and soybean plantings both remained ahead of the five-year averages. The excessive moisture also brought about the possibility of replant on some fields.
Damage to winter wheat and early planted soybeans continued to be observed from previous weeks' frosts.
Winter wheat conditions declined minimally, while crop development remained slightly behind schedule.
Hay fields and pastures benefitted from the moisture and warmer temperatures late in the week, with the first cuttings of hay occurring where fields were dry enough. Livestock fared well as pastures continued to fill out.
Other activities for the week included herbicide applications, machine maintenance, field scouting and delivering grain.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0 percent; short, 2 percent; adequate, 58 percent; surplus, 40 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 0 percent; short, 2 percent; adequate, 65 percent; surplus, 33 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2019 and 5-year average) showed: corn planted, 80, 72, 20, 69; corn emerged, 55, 31, 8, 48; soybeans planted, 66, 56, 10, 48; soybeans emerged, 38, 18, 2, 24; winter wheat jointing, 93, 88, 83, 93; winter wheat headed, 51, 36, 51, 67; alfalfa hay, first cutting, 8, 2, NA, NA; other hay, first cutting, 4, NA, NA, NA.
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