Indiana’s weather during the past few weeks has ranged from scorching hot to cooler than normal accompanied by heavy rains, but neither slowed corn harvest on Jim Doud’s Akron area dairy farm. He and his son, Matt, had completed their harvest before the weather’s mood swings and were able to take care of other farm jobs while the rains continued.

The Douds filled conventional silos from 1972 until 2008, the year Matt was overcome by silo gas. To prevent a similar accident, they now create a triangular-shaped bin from baled corn stover and blow the silage into it. Because they leave it uncovered, they drive their tractors over the pile of chopped corn to compact it. The rest is stored in plastic bags.

While the Douds were ahead of the weather, other farmers saw the warmer temperatures and heavy rains as a portent for an early harvest. Average temperatures for the week ending Sept. 7 ranged from 71-77 degrees; by Sept. 12, temperatures in Akron were in the mid-50s, with the lowest temperature for the week dropping to the lower 40s.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) showed corn denting was 61 percent in the north, 65 percent in central Indiana and 72 percent in the south. Ten percent of the corn in the northern region of the state is mature, followed by 17 percent in central and 20 percent in south.

Overall, the corn crop is 74 percent in good condition, exceeding last year’s crop by 12 percent.

In the north, 17 percent of the soybeans have begun dropping leaves, followed by 21 percent in the central area and 13 percent in the south. Soybeans exhibited similar conditions at 70 percent good to excellent this year, versus 56 percent last year, and are beginning to turn color.

However, some farmers remain concerned about disease and rot because of the cool, wet weather.