Rain aids soybeans, but Isaac worries farmers

Indiana

Indiana officials withdrew state backing Friday for a fertilizer plant over concerns about whether its Pakistan-based owners are doing enough at its overseas operations to keep the potentially explosive material from being used against U.S.Today 3:00 am

Central Indiana town scorched

Fire badly damaged several buildings Friday near the courthouse square in Greencastle, with flames shooting through the roofs as firefighters from several communities were called in to the central Indiana city to help.Today 3:00 am

Indiana withdraws support for fertilizer plant

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday pulled his support of a plan by a Pakistani company to build a fertilizer plant after the Pentagon raised concerns that its products were being used to make bombs.Friday

INDIANAPOLIS – A Purdue University farm expert says recent rainfall has delivered a late-season boost to Indiana’s drought-stressed soybean crop.

Purdue agricultural economist Chris Hurt said Wednesday he expects Indiana’s average soybean yields to be 39 bushels an acre thanks to the recent rains. That’s 23 percent below the 20-year average, but about two bushels better than federal projections released Aug. 10.

Despite that welcome rainfall, Hurt said farmers are now worried the remnants of Hurricane Isaac could dump heavy rains on Indiana this weekend. National Weather Service rainfall projections indicate Isaac could drop up to 7 inches of rain on western Indiana.

Hurt said if that much rain falls, and it’s paired with strong winds, it could topple some corn plants and leave fields muddy and prone to diseases.