As scouts on the 2017 Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour entered corn and soybean fields in Indiana Monday, many of them noticed one thing, the eastern half of the state needs rain.
Eric Miller, Indiana Field Agronomist with DuPont Pioneer, said he finds it unreal that farmers would be asking for moisture, given the wet spring that delayed planting and caused some planters to make another round on replant acres.
?The season?s been defined by too much water early, followed by not enough water in the latter part of the season. Specifically, the beginning part of August, up until recently,? Miller said.
With the early rain, Miller expected to see fields, particularly soybean fields, infested with disease and insect pressures. But, as he found out from tour scouts last night in Fishers, Indiana, many fields were looking good.
?I?m a little surprised by that,? Miller said. ?I was expecting more Sudden Death Syndrome with the cool, wet conditions we had early. I think the drier weather, here recently, saved that for the most part. I also expected Frogeye Leaf Spot to be more of an issue. However, it flared up toward the end of July and then just kind of stopped, and has not got a whole lot worse.?
Today, the Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour will start in Fishers, Indiana and end in Bloomington, Illinois. Miller talks about what scouts on the tour should expect.
?It?s my impression, west of Indianapolis had less replant. I expect there?s going to be less planting date variability. I can?t speak on behalf of plant-to-plant variability, (but) I?d say with the spring that we had, that?s to be expected regardless of planting date. If they got a majority of their crop planted within the first window, during the month of April, I expect crop condition to be slightly better than what you may have seen in the eastern part of the state,? Miller said.
Farm Journal released data for Ohio last night. Corn yields came in at 164.62 and soybeans, which are measured by the number of pods in a 3-ft. x 3-ft. square, were figured to be 1107.01.
