Gov. Mike Pence requests a secretarial disaster declaration for 53 of Indiana’s 92 counties
INDIANAPOLIS– In a letter sent earlier this week to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, Governor Mike Pence requested a secretarial disaster declaration for 53 of Indiana’s 92 counties due to crop damage and losses caused by flooding and excessive rain since May 1 of this year.
“Recent and unprecedented heavy rainfall across our state has had a significant impact on the yield of Indiana crops and our Hoosier farmers,” said Governor Pence. “As promised, our administration has been closely monitoring this situation and, in coordination with the Indiana Farm Service Agency, has determined federal emergency loan assistance is both prudent and warranted. Hoosier farmers can be assured that we will continue to keep a close eye on the long-term effects of this year’s heavy rains and, as needed, work to identify additional help for those in our state’s agriculture industry.”
In 50 counties, reported crop damage and losses have met or exceeded 30 percent of a crop, and three counties have experienced a significant number of damages and losses to multiple crops. Under a disaster designation, low-interest emergency loans will be made available to all producers suffering losses in that county, as well as in counties contiguous to a disaster-designated county. A list of all 53 counties can be found attached.
Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann, Secretary of Agriculture in Indiana, and Julia A. Wickard, Indiana FSA State Executive Director, joined the Governor in signing the letter.
“The record-setting rainfall this summer throughout much of Indiana has caused many Hoosier farmers to experience significant crops losses,” said Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann. “Fields are flooded by overflowing streams or covered by standing water from drenching rain. We are very grateful for the strong cooperation of the Farm Service Administration in expediting this special Secretarial disaster declaration request.”
“It is important this request is a joint effort by the state and federal government, and I appreciate the working relationship we have in the State of Indiana,” said Julia A. Wickard, Indiana FSA State Executive Director.
Hoosier farmers are encouraged to continue to submit crop damage reports to their county FSA offices as the disaster event is ongoing and continued monitoring is necessary to determine if additional counties should be added to the declaration request.
List of counties:
Adams; Allen; Bartholomew; Blackford; Boone Brown; Cass; Clay; Dearborn; Delaware; Fountain; Gibson; Grant; Greene; Hendricks; Henry; Howard; Huntington; Jackson; Jasper; Jay; Jefferson; Jennings; Johnson; Knox; Kosciusko; Lake; LaPorte Madison; Marion; Marshall; Miami; Monroe; Montgomery; Newton; Ohio; Pike; Porter; Pulaski; Putnam; Randolph; Ripley; Scott; St. Joseph; Starke; Sullivan; Switzerland; Tippecanoe; Vigo; Wabash; Washington; Wayne; and Wells
(July 31)
Farmers face crunch time to replant flooded soybean fields
By Darrin Pack, Purdue University
WEST LAFAYETTE - With rainy conditions expected to continue across parts of the Midwest for the next week, northern Indiana soybean farmers will have to race against the clock to get in an initial crop or replant their flood-damaged fields, a Purdue Extension specialist says.
“We are quickly marching on the end of time to successfully plant soybeans for grain,” said Shaun Casteel. “It’s going to be extremely tight.”
Whether planting an initial crop or replanting flood-damaged fields, Casteel recommends using a shorter-season variety and planting at least 200,000 seeds per acre.
“If soybeans are to be planted for grain harvest, we need to shorten the maturity group by 1.0 unit relative to the full season in your area,” he said. “We will mature about 7 to 10 days faster with that shorter-season variety.”
High seeding rates are needed to “push the plants and first pods higher, produce more nodes on an area basis and canopy faster,” he said.
Farmers also need to determine the latest possible planting date for their area. Even shorter-season varieties need about 90 days to mature or be close enough to maturity for harvest.
“If the fall freeze is typically October 10, then soybeans need to be replanted and emerged by July 10 to have a chance at producing harvestable grain this fall,” he said. “Soil moisture and temperatures should allow soybeans to emerge quickly.
Casteel estimates that late planting could produce about 50 to 60 percent of a normal grain harvest.
According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress report, 96 percent of Indiana’s soybean crop had been planted as of June 28, compared with 98 percent the same time last year. The report showed only 49 percent of the state’s soybean crop rated as good to excellent, down from 58 percent a week earlier and 71 percent the week ending June 14.
Although time for initial planting or replanting soybeans is running short, farmers shouldn’t rush into saturated fields, Casteel cautioned. Heavy equipment could compact the wet soil or leave deep ruts, making next year’s planting season more difficult.
Casteel said farmers who were unable to get their soybean crops planted this year because of the wet conditions should still consider planting soybeans as a cover crop or look at alternative cover crops to preserve soil nutrients for next year.
“We should plant something in these fields and large drowned-out areas to help suppress weeds, take up moisture and nutrients and stabilize the soil for this year and next year,” he said.
There is no need to use a shorter-season variety if the soybeans are planted as a cover crop, he said, because the goal is to produce biomass and ground cover, not grain.
Casteel has published a guide to late planting of soybeans in the latest issue of Purdue’s Pest and Crop online newsletter. To read the full article, go to http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/pestcrop/2015/Issue14/.
(July 3)
By Darrin Pack, Purdue University
WEST LAFAYETTE - With rainy conditions expected to continue across parts of the Midwest for the next week, northern Indiana soybean farmers will have to race against the clock to get in an initial crop or replant their flood-damaged fields, a Purdue Extension specialist says.
“We are quickly marching on the end of time to successfully plant soybeans for grain,” said Shaun Casteel. “It’s going to be extremely tight.”
Whether planting an initial crop or replanting flood-damaged fields, Casteel recommends using a shorter-season variety and planting at least 200,000 seeds per acre.
“If soybeans are to be planted for grain harvest, we need to shorten the maturity group by 1.0 unit relative to the full season in your area,” he said. “We will mature about 7 to 10 days faster with that shorter-season variety.”
High seeding rates are needed to “push the plants and first pods higher, produce more nodes on an area basis and canopy faster,” he said.
Farmers also need to determine the latest possible planting date for their area. Even shorter-season varieties need about 90 days to mature or be close enough to maturity for harvest.
“If the fall freeze is typically October 10, then soybeans need to be replanted and emerged by July 10 to have a chance at producing harvestable grain this fall,” he said. “Soil moisture and temperatures should allow soybeans to emerge quickly.
Casteel estimates that late planting could produce about 50 to 60 percent of a normal grain harvest.
According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress report, 96 percent of Indiana’s soybean crop had been planted as of June 28, compared with 98 percent the same time last year. The report showed only 49 percent of the state’s soybean crop rated as good to excellent, down from 58 percent a week earlier and 71 percent the week ending June 14.
Although time for initial planting or replanting soybeans is running short, farmers shouldn’t rush into saturated fields, Casteel cautioned. Heavy equipment could compact the wet soil or leave deep ruts, making next year’s planting season more difficult.
Casteel said farmers who were unable to get their soybean crops planted this year because of the wet conditions should still consider planting soybeans as a cover crop or look at alternative cover crops to preserve soil nutrients for next year.
“We should plant something in these fields and large drowned-out areas to help suppress weeds, take up moisture and nutrients and stabilize the soil for this year and next year,” he said.
There is no need to use a shorter-season variety if the soybeans are planted as a cover crop, he said, because the goal is to produce biomass and ground cover, not grain.
Casteel has published a guide to late planting of soybeans in the latest issue of Purdue’s Pest and Crop online newsletter. To read the full article, go to http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/pestcrop/2015/Issue14/.
(July 3)