Being able to predict when a field of corn will reach particular leaf stages can be useful for scheduling post-emergence applications of certain herbicides and sidedress N fertilizer.

The 2014 corn planting season is certainly off to a slow start in Indiana and elsewhere across the Midwest, primarily due to delayed drying and warming of soils.

For much of the Midwest, this has been one of the coldest winters in several decades. Chicago hasn't seen a winter this frigid in the past 30 years, and ranks as the 8th coldest average winter temperature since 1871. They have also recorded nearly 60 inches of snow through the first week of February.

In late January the Nebraska Wheat Board reported declining winter wheat conditions in western and southwestern Nebraska, leading some producers to ask about the potential for reseeding winter wheat. Can areas be seeded or reseeded with winter wheat when field conditions permit? What would be the yield potential?

Winter wheat varieties vary in their tolerance to winter hardiness or injury. Many of the winter wheat varieties that do not have as much tolerance to cold temperatures were able to survive the recent winters with milder temperatures.

Wind chill is a measure of what the combination of wind and temperature feels like. In calm conditions, there is a fine layer of air called the boundary layer that insulates us from the cold.

Concern always arises in cold periods over winter about the effect of the low temperatures on alfalfa winter survival, but generally alfalfa survives the winter and its periodic cold spells.

Due to the cool and wet conditions, soybeans harvested late at this time will need to be dried either on the farm or at the elevator. Some elevators will accept soybeans up to 20 percent moisture while others will reject loads that are above 16 percent moisture. Contact your elevator prior to delivery.

Nevertheless, folks who planted their corn later than normal are now beginning to worry whether their crop will mature safely before a killing fall freeze.