Corn crops are way past ‘knee-high by the Fourth of July’ in northern Indiana

BREMEN, Ind. — Northern Indiana farmer Clay Geyer said this growing season has had its ups and downs.

Changing weather conditions, insect pressure and equipment repairs created challenges, but recent rain helped crops improve.

Geyer shared his story with AgriNews.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge so far this growing season?

A: The cold and wet at the start of the growing season, followed by a couple weeks of no rain in sight and extremely low humidity and wind. We had a couple small hiccups with mechanical issues that delayed fieldwork productivity with a few of our bigger tractors out of service until a technician was able to make a farm call.

But overall all of the crops look pretty good now. We just continue to pray that we do not receive any damage from summer thunderstorms from now until fall.

Q: Has the recent weather been helping or hurting crop development?

A: The window of opportunity to spray corn and soybeans wasn’t as cut and dried as the days available for making dry hay. It was either too windy or too wet to pull a sprayer from one day to the next, but eventually I was able to cover all of the corn and soybeans ahead of the monsoon.

I had hopes of knifing in my 28-0-0 fertilizer into my cornfields, but due to the time constraints and the rapid growth of the corn I decided to hire Keystone Cooperative to just broadcast the nitrogen ahead of the rain.

The unstable air masses in the weekly forecast sent us in circles with fluctuating temperatures and humidity swings. The year is half over and we have already experienced an incredible number of severe weather and tornado threats, but thankfully we have not received any damage.

Corn and soybeans struggled for a week or two after planting during the flash drought, but a few passing showers have sent corn past “knee-high by Fourth of July” by leaps and bounds.

Q: What is one of your favorite moments on the farm this week?

A: Aside from the farm, my nephew and I spent a couple afternoons at the Argos Community Park cooling off in the splash pad. And on our way home, we also stopped by to visit Davenport Precision Planting & Seed to pay the remainder of my seed invoice.

My nephew and I both received a 1-16 scale ProBox for seed. It looks identical to the real version that many of us use today.

I also enjoyed attending a handful of graduation celebrations for the young men and women who have graduated from high school and college this spring.

Q: Are you seeing any insects, disease or weed issues this year?

A: During the beautiful stretch of haymaking weather that lasted from May 25 through the first week of June, we were extremely dry. The lack of moisture and the rapid harvest of alfalfa and grass created the perfect storm for armyworms to attack fields that were actively seeking their next meal.

By the time visible signs of armyworms displayed their presence in the wheat crop, the life cycle had already advanced to the moth stage.

Aside from the insect issues, we will be pressed hard to keep waterhemp at bay throughout the growing season. I did add soybeans to my rotation of corn, wheat and alfalfa.

Q: Is there a crop that’s looking especially good on your farm right now?

A: My second-cutting alfalfa is looking great, and if the weather plays out, we should be cutting hay fairly soon. I only have one field of soybeans that is picture-perfect and presents itself well where it is planted into heavy, black soil that was moldboard plowed.

Cornfields look average to fair, but would look even better if I could’ve gotten across the field to apply my foliar fertilizer and cultivate the soil between the rows of corn.

Q: What are you watching most closely as we move through the summer?

A: It has been an expensive year with the unexpected repairs and maintenance, but crop inputs of fertilizer and seed really put a dent in the remaining cash. I am thankful I was proactive and locked most of my fertilizer in ahead of time and wished I done the same with fuel, too.

As I mentioned last month, I had a few things on my wish list going into 2026. And while I admit it is not a good time to purchase new equipment, I had choices to repair what I had or update to make life easier.

As it turned out, I’m glad I purchased my first used round baler. It came in handy since the temperatures and the extremely low humidity were drying hay faster than we could make small squares out of it.

First cutting was a dirty cloud of dirt dust on both ends of the small square baler and even worse with the round baler on an open-station tractor.

Against my better judgment, I took the plunge and traded in my first tractor that I bought new on another one, except this one has a cab. The N95 respirator just wasn’t touching all the dust that my lungs and the monitor on the baler had to consume. I’m praying this is a smart move, updating my horses.

Q: Are there any local fairs, contests or community events you’re looking forward to this summer?

A: P.J. Gilsinger & Co. Annual Tractor Fest, Marshall County Fair, St. Joseph County 4-H Fair, Farm Toy Show at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds in Goshen on Labor Day, Nappanee Power From The Past antique tractor and steam show, Annual Downtown Tractor Show in Plymouth and the tractor show for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Tyner Lodge #821.

Q: What are you most hopeful for between now and harvest?

A: After numerous active severe weather events, I’m hopeful we do not experience any significant crop or structural damage from wind, hail or tornadoes.

I would like to see commodity prices recover enough to help offset the expense of this year’s inputs for the 2026 crop year. I pray that God keeps us all safe and provides a bountiful harvest for all this fall.