TRI-STATE (WFIE) -
With temperatures set to hit over 100 degrees, the forecast is not showing any signs of letting up.
The lack of rain and excessive heat is especially troublesome to local farmers.
For grain farmer Mark Seibert, this is year's harvest is already reminding him of the drought of '83.
"If it doesn't rain within two weeks, we're looking at least half a crop less," Seibert said.
To the untrained eye, these fields may look luscious, but as Seibert points out, "It's shorter."
In many areas, corn is stressed, and developing too soon for the weather to keep up.
This is called tasseling, and when this happens, pollen falls to make an ear of corn. The problem is when we don't have enough rain. Right now, when the ear of corn is ready to come out, it will be in poor shape.
"It might be missing six to eight rows on one side of the kernel," Seibert said.
Already, Seibert estimates he is losing up to eight bushels of corn a day.
"There's a lot of stress. We've got a lot of money in these fields," Seibert said.
If Seibert loses his green, you might too. The drought is wide-spread, affecting more than just Indiana.
If we don't' get rain soon, Seibert says, "it'll affect your meat prices, probably some vegetable prices, cereals and different things."
He says an inch and a half every few days until the corn matures in July would save him, if not, "crop insurance will help. We might break even, probably not quite even."
According to the U.S. Drought monitor, half of Indiana's 92 counties are experiencing drought, but south west Indiana has been hit by the strongest drought conditions in the state.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
To the untrained eye, these fields may look luscious, but as Seibert points out, "It's shorter."
