Thanks to Tropical Depression Isaac, Illinois has the largest percentage of cropland in the adequate and surplus topsoil moisture categories since May, according to the Sept. 4 report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

With a statewide average rainfall of 3.18 inches the previous week, topsoil moisture levels were rated at 19 percent very short, 28 percent short, 51 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. When conditions allowed, producers continued harvesting corn.

Additional rain in the forecast is seen as “bullish” with harvest delays and quality problems, according to Paul Georgy, president and CEO of Allendale, Inc., a grain marketing, brokerage and consulting service in McHenry, Ill. Georgy said grain futures are mixed with corn and wheat higher, soybeans lower.

Twelve percent of the corn reportedly has been harvested. That compares to 2 percent last year and the five-year average of 2 percent. Corn conditions were reported at 41 percent very poor, 34 percent poor, 21 percent fair and 4 percent good.

With the increased precipitation, soybean conditions improved a bit to 19 percent very poor, 21 percent poor, 42 percent fair, 17 percent good and 1 percent excellent. About 41 percent of the soybean crop is yellowing, compared to 20 percent last year and the five-year average of 23 percent.

Good news for livestock producers: pasture conditions improved significantly to 41 percent very poor, 31 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 7 percent good and 1 percent excellent.

Tropical Depression Isaac sent some much needed rain into the Hoosier state last week, but it was more or less too little too late.

“The rain may help some of the real late beans,” said Jerry Cardinal of Cardinal Farms near Oaktown, in southwestern Indiana. “I don’t know how much it’ll help. It may make bigger beans in the pod.”

It also has generated regrowth in some hayfields and may allow for one more cutting, according to Indiana NASS.

As for the corn, Cardinal said the rain came too late. The family was almost finished harvesting their corn crop, and it wasn’t a pretty picture; on clay ground, where they normally average 175-200 bushels per acre, Cardinal said they averaged 40-80.

Their sand ground, which generally yields 130 bushels per acre in non-irrigated fields and 200 in irrigated fields, this year averaged 2-20 bushels per acre. “All our sand ground was seed corn,” Cardinal said, explaining it has to be irrigated. “The corn had a lot of water, but it didn’t pollinate.”

He attributed that to extreme temperatures at pollination time. Indiana had several consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees during the growing season. The week ending Sept. 2 still showed temperatures ranging from 86-97 degrees, with that low temp in west-central Indiana and the high in the southwest.

Cardinal Farms also produces watermelons, and he said, “We were well satisfied with our watermelons.” Growers without irrigation didn’t fare so well, he added.

During the week ending Sept. 2, the Indiana NASS office reported rainfall amounts from 0.15 inch in the southeastern part of the state to 3.59 inches in the northwest. Accumulations for April through September were 7-10.5 inches below average for that time.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Sept. 4, the southern two-thirds of the state is still in severe drought conditions, with most of the rest in moderate drought. The northwestern corner of the state is simply labeled abnormally dry.

Rains across Ohio last week were a welcome sight. But as some experts have said several times this summer, “too little, too late.”

According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, the northern portion of Ohio is still experiencing extreme drought while the southern portion is listed in a severe drought. Nearly 8 inches of rain is needed to end this year’s drought and only 1.06 inches fell the past two weeks. The crop moisture index is at -2.48.

“Other than a few pockets here and there, the corn in Ohio looks pretty bad,” said Ohio State University extension agronomist Harold Watters, during his inspections while driving throughout southwestern Ohio.

“We’re right at the peak of the water needs for corn and we’re at the end of our water in many of the fields across the state. It’s not a disaster, but some Ohio corn yields could be between one-half and two-thirds of average unless it rains a lot more. The farmers will be happy for half a crop.”

With just 1 percent of corn harvested for grain, farmers had plenty of time for spraying for weeds and spider mites, tilling wheat stubble, applying fertilizer, seeding cover crops and installing drainage tile.

As of Sept. 2, 95 percent of corn was rated in the dough development stage, compared to 81 percent last year, and corn dented was rated at 72 percent, compared to 32 percent last year. Thirteen percent of corn was mature and corn for silage was 57 percent harvested.

Twenty-four percent of soybeans were dropping leaves and just 3 percent of the soybeans were mature. The fourth cutting of alfalfa was 40 percent complete.

Eighty-nine percent of summer apples have been harvested, while the peach crop is 95 percent harvested. Grapes are ahead of last year’s schedule, at 25 percent harvested.

Cucumbers, potatoes and processing tomatoes are enjoying the dry conditions. Cucumbers are 92 percent harvested (78 percent a year ago at this time), potatoes are 71 percent harvested (42 percent a year ago) and tomatoes are 62 percent harvested (just 20 percent last year).