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For many corn and soybean growers, the end of planting season is near. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) weekly crop progress report for May 21 states that 81% of corn and 66% of soybean acres are planted. Of corn planted, 52% has emerged. The 2023 corn planting progress is 12% ahead of last year at this time and 6% ahead of the five-year average (2018–2022). Of soybeans planted, 36% have emerged. Soybean planting progress is 19% ahead of last year at this time and 14% ahead of the five-year average. 

Crop progress in Stine’s regions
Last week we reported crop progress from Stine^® Regions 4, 5, 12, 13, 20 and 27, which encompass states like Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska. Here are the latest updates from some of our other regions throughout the country.

Aaron Stockton, Region 9 RSA (southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas)
Planting season has been great here in Region 9. We are essentially done with corn planting and have a good start on soybeans. Corn is at the V3–V6 stage and looking good in most areas. Most soybeans look great as well. It has been several years since we have had this much ground covered and crops looking this good. Wheat harvest should start in a month or so, and then double crop soybean season will be underway. Looking forward to a great season!

Kevin Ryan, Region 14 RSA (Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee)
All corn is planted; it’s from V8 to tasseling. We started out early, and it’s been a very smooth planting season. We had a few rains but had spells where we could plant for a week straight. Corn looks great! Everybody has added fertilizer to it. Weather is cooler than normal, and it’s growing fast. We are 80% to 90% done with soybeans, and quite a few fields have emerged. This has been a very good year; we’ve had the least amount of replant that I can remember. All rice is planted. Growers are now focused on planting cotton. All in all, it’s been as good a planting season as I can remember. We’re way ahead of normal. If we can beat the heat this summer, and it looks like we will, we should have a great crop. 

Paige Harris, Region 15 RSA (northeast Wisconsin, Michigan, New York)
Region 15 is about 75% planted for both corn and soybeans. There was some early planting due to good weather early on. But with a cool, wet spring, some producers got a late start. Even with the cool conditions, we are seeing great emergence from the Stine Enlist E3^® soybeans and MX Series Corn. With this stretch of nice, dry weather, most should be able to finish planting soon. This spring is setting up to have excellent conditions for the whole state of Michigan.

Katie Lorenz, Region 21 RSA (northern and eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota)
North Dakota is taking full advantage of their open window with suitable planting conditions. Dust is in the air as equipment is going nonstop to get the 2023 crop in while still maintaining adequate topsoil and subsoil moisture. Corn is 40% planted, ahead of last year at only 20%, but behind the five-year average of 50%. Soybeans are 25% planted throughout the state, ahead of last year’s 10%. If hard rain holds off, we will successfully get the crop in and see emergence early next week. Early GDUs with light pockets of rain could set this year up for record yields with Stine Seed!

What is the USDA Crop Progress Report?
The USDA NASS crop progress report is released every week throughout the busy planting, growing and harvest seasons. The report tracks crop progress by state and includes the 18 states that planted 92% of the corn acreage and 95% of the soybean acreage in 2022. The USDA NASS crop progress report features current week-ending results, the year prior results, and the five-year average for planting, emergence and crop conditions for primary crops throughout the U.S., including corn, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sugar beets, sunflowers, wheat and more.

For more crop progress updates in your region, contact your local Stine RSA.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) weekly crop progress report states that 65% of corn and 49% of soybean acres are planted. The 2023 corn planting progress is 20% ahead of last year at this time and 6% ahead of the five-year average (2018–2022). Soybean planting progress is 22% ahead of last year at this time and 13% ahead of the five-year average.

Crop progress in Stine’s regions

With a reach spanning across the country, Stine’s grower customers are busy in the field. Whether they’re still waiting to get soybeans in the ground or are already enjoying the growing season, reports vary from region to region. Here are the latest updates from some of our regional sales agronomists (RSAs) throughout the country.

Dustin Ellis, Region 4 RSA (central, northwest and northeast central Iowa)
Region 4 is about 98% to 100% done with corn and 80% to 90% done with soybean planting. We have had some rain the last few days delay things, but it looks like everyone will be back at it this week. Corn and soybeans both look good for the weather conditions. Even our earliest crops, which were planted in mid-April, look good and have good stands. I attribute this to great genetics and good soil conditions at the time of planting. It seems like our mid-April crops were sitting in cold but dry soils, which I believe is one of the reasons they stayed healthy and emerged with warmer, moist conditions. The early- to mid-planted April crops are the same height as crops planted at the end of April and the first part of May. It will be interesting to see if there’s a yield advantage with early-planted crops. We won’t know until the combines start up in the fall, but I will say that if growers would have waited, in some cases, they would be farther behind now with the later rain events, which could have caused planting corn and soybeans into late May or early June. 

Chad Kuehl, Region 5 RSA (southeast Nebraska)
Things are moving along in southeast Nebraska. We have a good number of growers starting to finish up. Corn is around 90% finished, and soybeans are around 70% complete. Overall, the region is still really dry and in need of a good rain.

Jake Anderson, Region 12 RSA (western and central Illinois)
Planting season is mostly wrapped up, and the growing season is underway here in Region 12. The first run of planting in April saw seeds sitting in cold soil for two weeks or more. We've seen some replant situations in the early round of planting due to tough emergence conditions. Overall, things are looking good, and the weather has been mostly favorable. A lot of corn is at the one or two-collar stage, and we’re seeing soybeans put out their first trifoliate leaves.  

Kevin Krabel, Region 13 RSA (central Illinois)
We’re around 80% done planting corn and soybeans in Region 13. We just received some much-needed rain that helped soybean emergence in areas where we were on the verge of massive replant needs. Corn emergence seems to be pretty good across the region. Although due to a good portion of the corn being planted in cooler ground temps, it didn’t all come up as evenly as one might like. We’ll have to keep an eye on that throughout the growing season. So far, it’s been the smoothest and quickest planting season in the last four to five years, and everyone should be done in the next few weeks. 

Darrin Petty, Region 20 RSA (southwest Iowa, northwest Missouri, northeast and north-central Kansas)
In my region back in April, everybody started planting, and it was nonstop. It wasn’t raining, so everyone kept planting until about a week or so ago when we got some much-needed rain. It was a good break for everybody to get caught up. Most everyone in my region is done planting corn. For soybeans, it varies because some are just starting planting and others have completed. I would estimate we’re about 60% done.

We’ve had an ideal planting season for the most part; the soil has been great! Everybody needed rain though, so it was very welcomed a few weeks back.

Emergence has been going well, but we also received quite a bit of rain in some areas. Some of the popular corn products planted in the region this year are Stine® 9808E (one that always works in our region), 9817-30 and 9752-32. One we’re really excited about is the new 9818-32, so we’ll keep a close eye on it throughout the season. We’ve also spent time working with our agronomy department and sales reps to plant corn and soybean plots, so we look forward to seeing the new products in the pipeline that will be available to growers next year. 

Todd Oliver, Region 27 (Texas and Oklahoma)
Corn is in full tassel in south Texas, and planting is complete in central and north Texas. West Texas and the Texas Panhandle are in the process of planting, but dry weather is making it a challenge. In Oklahoma, they are finally getting first-crop beans in the ground, and second-crop beans should start going in the next week or so. Dry weather has also plagued Oklahoma. The last two years have been the driest on record in West Texas and Oklahoma. We are hoping that a shift in weather will be in the farmers’ favor.

What is the USDA Crop Progress Report?

The USDA NASS Crop Progress Report is released every week throughout the busy planting, growing and harvest seasons. The report tracks crop progress by state and includes the 18 states that planted 92% of the corn acreage and 95% of the soybean acreage in 2022. The USDA NASS crop progress report features current week-ending results, the year prior results, and the five-year average for planting, emergence and crop conditions for primary crops throughout the U.S., including corn, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sugar beets, sunflowers, wheat and more.

For more crop progress updates in your region, contact your local Stine RSA.

Planting is underway for a few states in the U.S. The April 3, 2023, Crop Progress Report notes corn planting has started in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas. In Texas, it’s 57% complete, which is slightly above average for this time of year. For the others, the season has just kicked off. In the rest of the U.S., planting is likely a few weeks out or more, especially for growers in the upper Midwest, where states like Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota have received persistent heavy snowfall this spring. Regardless of your planting outlook, knowing the right time to hit the field is critical.

“While there are benefits of early planting, you should never rush or you may put your crop at risk early on,” says Bill Kessinger, technical agronomist for Stine. “Issues like imbibitional chilling, uneven emergence or sidewall compaction could limit your crop’s ability to thrive during the growing season. Even if your neighbors have started, take the time to check your soil and the extended forecast to make sure it’s the right time for planting.”

Here are some helpful considerations from our expert agronomy team.   

The benefits of early planting

Beating the summer’s heat is one of the main benefits of planting early. The earlier you plant, the more time your plants will have to emerge and mature before the high temperatures are here to stay.

“This is especially important for corn plants as extreme heat will affect pollination and pollen shed,” says Kessinger.

According to the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, prolonged periods of heat can reduce pollen production, particularly with consecutive days that reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

In soybeans, planting early allows the plants to mature at a more optimal time and the soybean canopy to form earlier. Michigan State University Extension suggests, “Early-planted soybeans produce a larger crop canopy earlier in the growing season, which leads to better utilization of the solar radiation and soil moisture available during the growing season.”

After emergence, experts note soybean cotyledons are also more resistant to freezing temperatures than corn as they have thicker tissue.   

The pitfalls of early planting

“For corn, planting into cold, wet soils can increase the risk of uneven emergence,” says Tony Lenz, technical agronomist. “If corn sits in the ground longer than it should, the plant is forced to live off the energy and nutrients stored in the seed, which doesn’t allow for a good start. This can impact the crop during the early vegetative stages and weaken its root structure in the long haul.”

Lenz stresses that growers need to remember corn imbibes 30% of its weight in water before it germinates. “If it imbibes cold moisture within 24-48 hours after planting, it can severely disrupt the germination process, leading to severe issues to the developing embryo. This is called imbibitional chilling, and it can be detrimental to yield,” he adds.

Imbibitional chilling occurs when there’s a dip in the water temperature being imbibed by the seedling, which is why it’s crucial to monitor the extended weather forecast before planting.

“This is especially important to consider with the recent cooler temperatures and heavy moisture we received and are forecast to continue to receive throughout much of the Midwest,” says Lenz. “Imbibational chilling can lead to a corkscrew effect of the mesocotyl, which can result in death of the seedling.” 

Similar to corn, if soybeans are planted in cool, wet soil, they will experience emergence issues. Soybeans are also susceptible to chilling injury.

“Chilling injury compromises the seed coat — or that protective layer — of the soybeans,” says Lenz. “This leads to delay in emergence, or uneven emergence and, ultimately, poor stand. That said, soybeans are a bit better equipped to handle inconsistent emergence compared to corn.”

Other considerations

Growers also need to consult with federal crop insurance guidelines for replanting. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, “Farmers with federal crop insurance will lose replant coverage if they plant before the earliest allowable planting dates specified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency.” They add that this is true even if growers need to replant due to factors other than freeze damage or poor emergence. 

Sidewall compaction is another consideration with early planting, especially when seed furrows are made into high-moisture soil.

“Planting into soil that’s too wet can affect emergence and plant stand,” says Kessinger. “If the seed is compacted into wet soils, you run the risk of root growth problems, where the roots might grow sideways versus straight down. The same is true if you plant too shallow. You need to ensure the moisture level of your field is optimal for planting and your planter is adjusted for proper seed-to-soil contact before putting in corn or soybeans.”

The answer to the planting timing conundrum?  

There is no right or wrong answer. It all boils down to your situation and extended forecast. A few things Stine agronomists can always agree on when it comes to planting are:

• Ensure soil temperatures are a consistent 50+ degrees Fahrenheit for more than a few days.
• Check the extended weather forecast and avoid planting when a cold rain is anticipated within 24-48 hours after planting.
• Test your soil moisture. Check the soil at the depth you intend to plant to examine the texture of the soil. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach provides great tips for determining the moisture levels of your soil.
• Avoid sidewall compaction by checking moisture levels, avoiding planting too shallow (we recommend a minimum of 2 to 3 inches for corn and 1.5 to 2 inches for soybeans), and not applying too much downward pressure on the press wheels of your planter.
• Know the date restrictions for federal crop insurance.
• Consult your local Stine agronomist or university extension expert for local recommendations.

To connect with your local Stine agronomist or sales expert for planting recommendations, visit Find Stine. Here’s to a safe and productive planting season!