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Hot, dry weather added stress to Indiana crops

Hot and dry weather persisted last week adding stress to Indiana’s crops.  The US Drought Monitor reported moderate drought in large portions of Allen, Elkhart, Lagrange, Noble, and Kosciusko Counties, while central and southern parts of the state received more wide-spread rainfall.

According to the latest weekly Crop and Weather report, 71 percent of the corn crop is rated good to excellent a 2 point drop from last week.  Seventy-two percent has reached the dough stage and 23 percent is dented.

Soybeans are rated 71 percent good to excellent, a 3-point drop from last week.  Ninety-four percent of the crop is blooming and 78 percent is setting pods.

Purdue agronomist Shaun Casteel says the soybean crop is made in August. “We’re at a point right now where we have fields that are starting to turn silver-grey in the afternoon,” he says.  “We need water.  At this point we’re at least 6-9 inches of water that’s need.  That’s not just rainfall – that’s also soil moisture.”

Harvest is underway for tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, and mint.