Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report rates 64% of Indiana corn and 63% of Hoosier soybeans in good to excellent condition. Farmer Matthew Chapman provides Hoosier Ag Today with a Crop Update from Henry County in East Central Indiana.
“We have crops that were planted in April, May, and June, and all variety of stages of growth. We could definitely use a drink here this week, but we have been blessed with cooler temperatures, which I think is helping with some of that stress.”
Asked if there are any diseases of concern on his farm, Chapman says they’re taking a preventative approach as weather conditions could be problematic.
“You know, it’s hard to tell right now between a foggy morning and kind of the haze of the smoke. They look very similar in the mornings. But our standard practice has been to spray fungicide and insecticide at this growth stage for the last several years. So, we’ve been prepared for anything.”
Chapman grows corn, soybeans, and wheat on his farm in Springport. Wheat is the priority at the moment.
“So, we’ve got to haul the wheat in here in the next couple weeks. We raise the wheat so we have a nice, dry place to apply our fertilizer from our hog barns here in the summer when the conditions are right.”
In these difficult economic times for grain producers, Chapman says having those hog barns has been a blessing. He thanks his father.
“For thinking outside the box when we had the opportunity to expand into the hog business. And, you know, who would have thought that fertilizer would be just as profitable as the hogs often times, recently.”
For his corn, Chapman believes they’ll be off 10% from last year from a yield standpoint. For soybeans, he anticipates a lot of variability. Like most years, the fields that are well-drained and have lot of field tile will shine while others might be zeroes.
