News

Rainfall? We’ll take it!

Rain showers fell across parts of Indiana over the weekend and provided some much-needed relief to an already stressed crop.  But – is it too late to help a crop that in some places has been pushed to its breaking point?  Purdue Extension agronomist Bob Nielsen says “no”.  “It’s not too late – but what is true is that weekend of rain scattered around the state certainly isn’t going to mitigate the damage and allow us to achieve normal yields,” he says.

Nielsen tells Brownfield rains are always welcome – especially with much of the state’s crop entering the crucial pollination stage.  “The forecast for the heat this week is in the high 90’s and even approaching the 100’s and there is still no forecast of any wide-spread soaking rains,” he says.  “To the extent that the heat and the likely abnormally dry conditions are going to continue – the rains we had this weekend certainly help but by no means would be considered drought breakers.”

Nielsen says the forecasted hot and dry weather continues to put the crop at risk for even greater yield losses.

AUDIO: Bob Nielsen, Drought and Yields (4:30mp3)