Most Indiana counties are experiencing some form of drought. The worst hit is the southwestern part of the state.
Joe Kelsay is the director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture. He says the dry weather is a reminder of the difficulties farmers have growing their crop.
"It really is something, I think, the general public loses sight of, because of their disconnection from real production agriculture. However, those folks with gardens in their backyards, if they're watering them, they're probably doing OK. If they're waiting on the rain to come, they, too, are suffering.”
Kelsay says there’s not much the state can do to aid farmers facing drought. He says many buy crop insurance prior to planting in case of poor weather.
He hopes this prompts more researchers to find solutions for the problem.
"There are a lot of chances to make really good ideas into the market. Maybe that's in genetics, selection of chemistries, crop protection devices, it might be in technology. There is a lot of opportunity in agriculture, and I think drought resistant corn is just that next advancement theat we're waiting to come down the road.”
Kelsay says there are some drought-resistant varieties of corn, but he doesn’t think many farmers are use it.
Another update on the dry conditions in Indiana is expected Tuesday. The U.S. Drought Monitor already was rating nearly all of the state abnormally dry.
The national Climate Prediction Center outlook for the rest of the summer does not show much improvement, especially in the short-term.
For farmers, the corn crop is most at risk while soybeans are doing a little better, according to experts at Purdue.