Planting season is well underway, despite wet weather and abnormally cold temperatures throughout the state.
Twenty percent of corn and 18% of soybeans have been planted so far, according to a USDA report.
Dennis Carnahan, a farmer near Vincennes, said that despite challenges with the weather, he’s close to wrapping up planting his crops.
“The weekend rain held us out until yesterday, but yesterday it was a very good day, and we're continuing with that today, planting soybeans,” he said. “Our corn planter is in another location, and it should finish up with the corn planting today also.”
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Carnahan, like many in Indiana, is a bit worried about how cold temperatures will affect his crops.
“If we are fortunate enough to finish up with the planting tomorrow, we will still not have any of the planted crop that's been out there for days that have emerged yet. And that's a concern,” he said. “Cold and damp weather is not conducive for the corn crop. The soybeans I'm not as concerned about, but the corn, we’ll be eager to see some of that come out of the ground.”
Farmers in the northern and eastern parts of the state will have to keep an eye on their corn crops, as they’ve experienced the worst of the cold weather. If their crops don’t emerge soon, some farmers may have to replant.
The average temperature last week was 48.9 degrees, 6.5 degrees below normal for the state. In fact, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that this May 1 st was the fourth coldest on record.
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