Indiana farmers are opting to plant soybeans first due to the difficulty in reaching optimal soil temperatures for corn planting. Soil temperatures have been struggling to rise above 50 degrees, causing concern among farmers. Despite this, 18% of soybeans have already been planted, which is ahead of the five-year average of 9%, while 20% of corn has been planted in the state.
Farmers have been dealing with cold air and soil temperatures, with frost occurring on multiple days. Some farmers believe planting soybeans first is a better option, as they can handle cold conditions better than corn during germination. As reported on AgWeb, Chuck Shelby, a farmer near Lafayette, has been planting beans early using a seed treatment for below-ground insect protection and has seen a yield increase as a result.
While the recent crop progress report shows that both corn and soybean planting are ahead of the average for Indiana, Shelby is concerned about the dry fields at his home farm and hopes to avoid heavy rainfall. Although he is optimistic about the yield, profitability remains uncertain due to many farmers missing out on lower input costs this spring after lining up fertilizer needs last fall before the price drop on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Photo Credit: GettyImages - Zoran Zeremski
Categories: Indiana, Crops