Michiana crop conditions still doing well despite the drought

Even though all of Michiana is abnormally dry, and moderate drought has returned to portions of the area, for now, crops aren’t doing too badly across Indiana and Michigan.

In the latest crop report (released Monday), experts did note the significant decrease in soil moisture across Michiana. However, in both Indiana and Michigan, commodity crops progressed steadily. In Indiana, soybeans are setting pods ahead of the five-year average. Growers made progress on tomato harvest, and livestock is in good condition, although pasture conditions suffered a bit because of the dry weather.

In Michigan, corn and soybean are moving toward full maturity, and oat and barley progressed rapidly (the dry weather is ideal for those crops). However, sugar beet suffered from the lack of moisture and above normal temps.

The latest corn comparison in Indiana shows the state well ahead of last year in the higher quality categories. Corn dented is also almost double what we were seeing last year, but the amount dented is slightly below the five-year average heading into September.

In Michigan, we’re seeing a similar story with soybeans, with a lot more crops in good or excellent condition compared to 2019. However, if the rain Friday does not prove to be significant, these reports could look quite different in a few weeks.