Another Farm Week in Pictures brings you another round of spring wetness in Indiana. Soils were able to dry out enough to walk across them this farm week. We’re still too wet to spray for weeds or think about any fieldwork. A 50% chance of rain is in the forecast this weekend and late next week. If the rains miss us this weekend weeds may get treated early in the week. For now we are still waiting for everything to dry out planting.
Before and After
These two pictures were taken one week apart from the same location. This is our river bottom field that borders the Wabash River. As you can see it was completely flooded one week ago except for the sand ridge I was standing on. At some point within the next 7 days the surface water had completely drained away.
Who Wants Bacon?
I found this poor guy in the river bottom field when I took the flooding picture. Looks like a pig to me. I’m not sure what he’s doing way out here. Maybe got loose from a hog barn or was being raised in somebody’s yard. Anyway there isn’t much left!
Weed Weather
Many fields in the area look like this right now. Since soils are too wet for tillage or spraying chickweed is enjoying a somewhat delayed planting season. This isn’t too bad though as these weeds will die quickly once we hit them with some Roundup.
Wheat Weather
Weather that is good for weeds also has our wheat looking really good too. This stuff will really take off once warmer temperatures and sunshine settle in to stay.
Cover Crop Progress
Our cereal rye cover crop is growing right along with its wheat cousin. Sometime next week these plants will probably have last year’s corn stalks covered up. This cover will be terminated with Roundup in the near future, and then we will no-till directly into the cover and stalks as it stands.
Erosion Control
The rye seems to have prevented some erosion from surface water run off this week. This low spot is a water way that leads to a passage under the road and into a larger water way. I think the biomass of the rye kept a lot of loose corn stalks from moving further in the field and being deposited into a big pile either at the edge of the road or even on the road.
More Weekly Wetness
This air well leads to a drain pipe under this field. Straw from the previous wheat crop combined with mud to make a thick mat over the well while it was completely submerged last week.
Dam!
This is Norway Dam not far from where we live. The dam produces electricity and holds back Lake Shafer. Indiana Beach is just on the other side of the dam. The gates have been wide open and pouring water into the Tippecanoe River.
One of these weeks I’m going to have planting pictures for you. Promise. Next week? Not likely, but there’s a slight chance! Until then I hope you keep checking in and commenting!
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Wow, that’s a lot of water!