Calling this a period of “sit and wait,” Mike McFarland, a Kosciusko County farmer, said, “We know we won’t have a good corn crop, but we won’t know for certain until we get in the field. The next issue will be quality – whether there’s mold or fungus and how high the moisture content is.”

So far, the lowest moisture content he has heard has been 27 percent.

“August rains really helped the bean crop by slowing the maturity,” he said.  “Unfortunately, they didn’t do much for the corn crop.”

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released a report last week based on Sept. 1 crop conditions that forecasts a 605 million-bushel corn crop in Indiana, down 28 percent from 839.5 million last year. The expected 100 bushels per-acre yield will be down 46 from last year.

Similarly, soybean production is forecast to be down 22 percent from last year.

Following a long, hot summer plagued by drought, 91 percent of the corn is in dent stage compared with 68 percent last year and 73 percent for the five-year average. Of the 9 percent of corn harvested, only 9 percent is rated good to excellent compared with 34 percent last year at this time.

NASS estimates 24 percent of the soybean crop is good to excellent, compared with 41 percent last year.

Overall, NASS sees 41 percent of Indiana’s corn as very poor with only 1 percent excellent. Soybeans fare better: 19 percent very poor and 3 percent excellent.

Pastures are 35 percent very poor and 1 percent excellent. Final cuttings of hay have been slow to cure because of frequent rain and heavy dew.

Above-normal precipitation and cooler temperatures helped improve crop conditions and soil moisture for the week. But topsoil moisture is still rated about 27 percent short in some areas.

Still, farmers took advantage of the good weather to spray for weeds and spider mites, till wheat stubble, apply fertilizer, seed cover crops and install drainage tile.

Crop conditions continue to be ahead of last year, with farmers reporting 88 percent of the corn dented compared to 51 percent last year, and 26 percent is rated as mature, way ahead of last year’s 5 percent at this time.

Farmers have started harvesting corn for grain, with about 2 percent of the crop already in bins. Corn silage is also ahead of last year at this time, with 69 percent of the crop harvested compared to 19 percent last year.

Soybeans are ahead of last year, with 36 percent dropping leaves compared to 7 percent last year. Mature soybeans are about 3 percent ahead of last year at 7 percent, and 1 percent have been harvested.

Farmers have been taking advantage of good weather to harvest hay, with 97 percent of the third cutting of alfalfa hay complete, 6 percent ahead of last year. Fourth-cutting alfalfa was 45 percent complete compared to 30 percent for last year, and 75 percent of the third cutting of other hay was complete compared to 58 percent last year.

Fred Myers of Wayne County said he may get another cutting of hay after the frost, thanks to timely rains over the past few weeks.

Summer apple harvest is winding down, with 92 percent of the crop harvested. Fall and winter apple harvest is about 11 percent ahead of last year, with approximately 25 percent of the crop harvested. Grape harvest is also ahead of previous years, with 37 percent of the crop harvested, 16 percent ahead of last year.

In vegetables, 96 percent of the cucumber crop has been harvested compared to 85 percent last year. The potato crop was 75 percent harvested, compared to 49 percent for last year and 50 percent for the five-year average. Almost three-quarters of the processing tomatoes have been harvested so far this year, compared to 27 percent last year at this time.

Cooler temperatures and increased moisture have been beneficial and improved pasture conditions across the state.

While Tropical Depression Isaac’s 2-6 inches of rain in the southern two-thirds of Illinois and a recent average statewide rainfall of more than an inch was welcome, both corn and soybeans have nearly finished adding yield, according to Illinois’ NASS report.

University of Illinois crop sciences professor Emerson Nafziger said, “The rain came too late to help corn yields and did little to help soybean yields. Topsoil moisture is at 52 percent. This return to favorable soil moisture lessens concerns about the drought carrying over to next year, though rainfall during the season will still be the critical factor.”

NASS reported 41 percent very poor corn conditions statewide. Nafziger said the drought caused some cornfields to die, but those that still have some green should be close to maturity.

“As corn-grain moisture approaches 20 percent the advantages to getting the crop harvested tend to outweigh the disadvantages,” he said.

“Also, crop insurance considerations have to be taken into account, but low-cost drying offered by some elevators, weak stalks that may fall in the next moderate wind, grain quality that can get worse as the crop stands in the field and the increase in harvest loss as grain dries below 18 to 20 percent moisture, all weigh on the side of early harvest.”

In most areas, soybean harvest has not begun. “If a soybean field was under a lot of stress early in the season, check to see if it is filling a good number of pods,” said Nafziger. “If your counts and calculations indicate fields will yield 70 bushels and you think from experience it will yield only 50, trust your experience.”

Farmer Bill Campion of Wyoming, Ill., prepares to harvest and remains hopeful. “Our corn may make 40 bushels an acre but I hope it will be make 140. Everyone I talk to that is combining says fields may look good at the ends, but not in the middle. There is definitely a lot of variability per field.”