News

Warmer temperatures help Indiana crops dry down for harvest

Warmer temperatures and a relatively dry week helped corn and soybeans dry down more quickly for harvest.

Central Indiana farmer Mike Beard says the dry conditions helped his crops.

“I’ll be good if it doesn’t rain until November,” he says. “We’ve got good soil structure and the dryness doesn’t appear to be hurting anything.”

According to the latest USDA Crop and Weather report, 10 percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain, 92 percent of the corn crop is dented, and 54 percent is mature. Seventy-six percent of the corn has been harvested for silage.

Soybean harvest is 10 percent complete and 64 percent of the soybean crop is dropping leaves.

Sixty-seven percent of the fourth cutting of alfalfa hay is complete.

Topsoil moisture is 46 percent and subsoil moisture is 51 percent adequate to surplus. Harvest continues for pumpkins, cucumbers, and tomatoes.