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Crop conditions vary after challenging start

A seed representative says rainfall in northeast Indiana has been either too much or too little and its causing some crop development issues.

Bryan Smith with Seed Consultants says it’s been a growing season like no other.

“Our replants in my area were five times the amount they normally are, so we were already behind the eight ball when we started,” he says. “We’d get four inches of rain, we’d get it dry enough to get back on the fields and get planted and then get another four inches. We went through conditions we’ve never seen before and I’ve been doing this for 23 years.”

But now, he tells Brownfield the crops in his area are in desperate need of rain.

“I’ve got crops that will be tremendous, I’ve got crops that will be average, and I’ve got crops that will be below average,” he says. “It just depends on timing of when we got corns and beans out.”

Smith says while disease pressure hasn’t been a major issue this year, farmers should continue to scout their fields.

He spoke with Brownfield at the company’s kickoff meeting earlier this week.

Audio: Bryan Smith, Seed Consultants