Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report showed Indiana corn planting at 14% complete with soybeans 19% complete. This puts us well ahead of the 5-year averages of 3% for both corn and soybeans.
A lot of that progress is happening in the southern part of the state. DuBois County farmer JR Roesner discusses his progress.
“It’s been one of the fastest planting seasons we’ve ever had. It’s been very hot and dry in early April here, and it’s allowed us to get planting done at a very quick pace. Currently, we are done with corn. We finished corn late last week. And we have less than 10% of our soybeans yet to go. We could definitely use some rain as we go through the growing season here. Things continue to be extremely dry. We probably have about 60% of our crop emerged, which is definitely far ahead of what we’re used to in this part of the state for this time of year.”
Thankfully Roesner was able to keep up with the planting pace with his duties serving on the Indiana Corn Growers Association and the National Corn Growers Association boards of directors.
Ryan Rippy farms in Montgomery, Tippecanoe, and Fountain counties. He says they got off to a good start last week in West Central Indiana.
“We got about a third of the corn and beans in before the rain. We got a little bit of burn-down spraying done, too. So, we had the weekend off with the rain and I’m looking forward to some sunny weather this week to hopefully get back at it.”
Nationally, corn planting is also ahead of the 5-year average pace at 11% planted. Soybeans are also ahead of that pace at 12%.
