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Steve Leer,
765-494-8415
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Excessive spring rains have kept most Indiana farmers out of the fields,
and the delay in planting is now causing farmers to make some critical
decisions.
New Publications
have been posted.
June 18, 2002
Purdue agronomist says farmers not out of planting options
yet
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Although it may not be corn, soybeans
or alfalfa, farmers still have the opportunity to put seed in the
ground for a cover crop yet this spring, said a Purdue University
agronomist.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers taking
the prevented planting payment on their land can plant annual, biennial
or perennial grasses and legumes as a cover crop. Small grains,
such as barley, oats, rice and wheat, also are acceptable as long
as they are not harvested for grain or seed. The crop should be
planted for erosion control, hay, chopped silage or grazing and
left for only one season |
June 10 2002,
Intended U.S. corn crop dwindles as potential yields fall
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite warmer and drier conditions
over much of the Midwest, planting remains behind average, which
may put corn production in jeopardy this year according to a Purdue
University agricultural economist.
As of June 2, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois still had 3.7 million
acres of corn unplanted while Wisconsin and Michigan had one-half
million acres left to plant, said Chris Hurt, agricultural economist.
Hurt said two important factors may put this year's corn supply
in a tight spot – the impact of late planting on national
yields and the possibility of shifting acres from corn to beans.
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| May 23, 2002
Economist: Numbers say it is time to switch from corn to soybeans
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Since Midwest farmers have watched
the optimum time come and go for planting corn, it may be time to
trade in the corn seed for soybeans, said a Purdue University agricultural
economist.
"By the time we get out to the end of May or the first of
June, our estimates show that on average-quality soils here in Indiana,
we could have $15 to $20 an acre better returns from planting beans
than corn," said Chris Hurt, Purdue Extension agricultural
economist. "The premium for planting soybeans over corn continues
to grow, reaching near $35 per acre by June 10. However, producers
have to look at their specific conditions to make those decisions." |
May 23, 2002
Crop expert: Agronomic reasons abound for not shucking corn
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Plant corn as originally intended,
or scrap those plans and plant soybeans instead? The question
weighs heavier on farmers' minds the longer fieldwork is delayed.
With the ideal planting period for corn now past, farmers may
be inclined to move corn acres into soybeans as an insurance policy
against yield loss. Producers could be making a big mistake, especially
if the changeover interrupts a corn-soybean rotation, said a Purdue
University agronomist.
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May 22, 2002
Further planting delay forces farmers to consider new strategies
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The delay in planting across Indiana
and Ohio has producers rethinking their crop strategies this
year and wondering if they need to switch to earlier maturing
corn hybrids.
Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension corn specialist, said
farmers can continue with their current, full-season maturing
hybrids until almost the end of May. However, if producers don't
think they'll be planting for another two weeks in their area, they
need to talk with seed dealers about other options.
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This west-central Indiana field is covered in Senecio, a weed that
many Hoosier farmers will have to deal with before planting can
be completed. Purdue experts said weeds this large will have to
be burned down and disked under as soon as conditions allow.
Photo by Randy Spears
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May 22, 2002
Weed fields no field of dreams for farmers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – If you look at many fields around
Indiana, you'd swear that farmers had planted a crop of weeds.
While spring rains have kept farmers from planting their fields, weeds
– and the problems they create– are multiplying.
"In some fields the
vegetation is so high,
farmers will have no
choice but to spray for
the weeds before they
plant," said Tom
Bauman, Purdue
Extension weed
specialist. "Any weeds
more than about 18
inches high will have to
be sprayed and disked
under before planting
starts."
More information:
- Forage expert: Crop planting, hay harvest on a collision course,
May 17, 2002
- Wet weather pattern may be slowly changing for the better,
May 15, 2002
- Time out of fields could be spent checking crop insurance,
May 17, 2002
- Expert: Avoid compacting garden soil; wait until it dries to plant,
May 16, 2002
- Wet weather may affect silage production, May
16, 2002
- Lost planting days not time to panic, specialists say , May
8, 2002
- Delayed fieldwork a recipe for spray drift problems, May
7, 2002
- Rain delay keeps farmers from planting, Indiana falls behind,
May 1, 2002
- Crop specialist: Too wet to plant corn? Then play by the 'rules',
May 1, 2002
- Fertilizing corn can wait, planting can't, agronomists say,
April 23, 2002
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