By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – Planting season in the Wabash County has gone about as well as anyone could’ve asked to this point in the season, according to Curt Campbell, Wabash County’s Purdue Extension educator.
In fact, he said this planting season has gone smoother than any he can remember in the last five or six years.
“We had that cold April where it was wet, and not being able to get in,” Campbell said. “But, boy, once we got in, things just really worked quickly. Guys really got in.”
“I’ve been at the Extension 10 years in the county, and I’d say this is the quickest we’ve got this much corn planted in the 10 years I’ve been there.”
Campbell said he’s heard from a number of farmers who have completed all of their corn and soybean planting already.
Statewide, going by the numbers, crop planting appears to be ahead of schedule.
According to a USDA Crop Progress Report released on May 14, more corn has been planted to this point of the year when compared to last year.
At this point last year, 55 percent of the state’s corn crop had been planted. But, the report states that Indiana farmers have planted 73 percent of their corn crop to this point in 2018. That’s well higher than the state’s five-year average of 52 percent to this point in the season.
More corn is popping up through the ground to this point in the year when compared to last year, as well.
At this point in the year last year, 27 percent of corn had emerged from the ground, compared to 32 percent this year. This year is well ahead of the state’s five-year average of 21 percent.
Soybeans seem to be faring very well, too.
The USDA reported that Indiana farmers have planted 53 percent of their soybeans for the season as of May 13, well ahead of last year’s number, 22 percent, as well as the five-year average of 19 percent to this point in the season.
Nine percent of soybeans have emerged from the ground to this point in the season, well ahead of last year’s May 13 mark of 3 percent. That’s also well above the five-year average of 3 percent to this point in the year.
“This rain we got here the last few days, things have popped up really well,” Campbell said. “It looks like we have some good sands. Last year with all the rain, we had re-plants. We’re not fighting a drought right now. So, knock on wood, Wabash County is really in great shape.
“We’ve got a few farmers that aren’t through, but I’ve talked to a number who had both their corn and beans planted by May 15, and that’s almost unheard of.”
There are still some acres to be planted, Campbell admitted, pointing to pockets of the county where the conditions were a bit wetter than the norm.
Also, no-till farmers need dryer conditions, and thus may take a little longer to get their crops planted.
The cold weather experienced in North Central Indiana would’ve been a factor, Campbell said, if crops had already been planted.
But, the cold weather was persistent enough that it prevented almost all of the early season planting that might’ve otherwise been done.
“But, it warmed up quickly – really nicely with those warm days,” Campbell said. “I haven’t heard of (the cold) being a problem with anyone at all.”
The early season planting success could go a long way toward helping farmers produce a strong crop both in bushels and price in 2018.
“We might be lucky where we’re located,” Campbell. “Up north in places like Iowa and Nebraska, they’ve had a lot more rain, and they’re not nearly as far along on the planting season as what we are. Hopefully, that might have an impact on price, because of the wet weather that they’ve had. That’s just hoping.”
But, with the unpredictability of Indiana weather, farmers could be signing a different tune in no time if long stretches of rain or dry weather hit.
“Wait until it doesn’t rain anymore, and in a month we’re going to be crying about not having any rain,” Campbell said. “At this point we’re going good. But, it’s got to remember to rain.
“And, corn doesn’t do well with temperatures above 90. The respiration shuts down a little bit of the growth. So we’ve got all that stuff to contend with. But, at this point in time, a snapshot of where we’re at is good. We just have a lot of variables ahead of us that we don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”