Planting delays continue. Consider switching to earlier maturity hybrids by early June. Check seed availability with seed dealers now.

Frequent rains of recent weeks delayed the start of corn planting throughout Indiana. Rains late last week and over the weekend will further delay the completion of planting, especially in the southern third of the state. Rainfall over the 7-day period ending 8 am EDST May 12 ranged from 2 to 4 inches throughout central, eastcentral, and southern Indiana (Fig. 1). Rainfall amounts elsewhere in the state ranged from one-half to 2 inches.

As of May 11, the Indiana office of USDA’s National Ag. Statistics Service estimated that only 61 percent of the state’s corn crop was planted compared to the most recent 5-year average of 72 percent (USDA-NASS, 2008). The good news is that this year’s planting pace is not the slowest in recent memory. The two slowest planting years in the past five were 2002 and 2003 (Fig. 2). In contrast, the fastest planting year in the past five was 2004. The 2008 pace is between the slowest and fastest of the past five years and is interestingly not that much slower than that of last year.

The planting delays are greatest in the southern third of Indiana, where USDA-NASS estimates only 34 percent completion as of May 11 in contrast with 61 and 74 percent completion in the northern and central areas of the state (USDA-NASS, 2008). With more rain in the current forecast for the coming week, many of those planters will likely not return to the fields before next week. Consequently, much of the remaining 39% of the state’s corn crop will be planted later than desired. Additionally, a few early-planted fields may require replanting if plant populations are reduced due to soggy soils and/or disease.

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