Rain, rain and more rain has many areas of the Midwest and South behind planting schedules. From eastern Illinois to the Missouri Bootheel, growers are on the lookout for ponding and emergence issues that come with the extra moisture these regions have received. Other areas, such as North Dakota and Iowa, have had a better start to the season.
Region 1, RSA Justin Oden (central Minnesota, west/central Wisconsin)
Region 1 has about 90 percent of corn in the ground. For beans, we have about 80 percent planted. It was pretty cold and wet early on, so growers didn’t get their corn in as early as they would have liked. We also had a lot of rain recently, so we are going to see quite a bit of replant this year.
Region 2, RSA Katie Lorenz (North Dakota, north central South Dakota, northwestern Minnesota)
Region 2's growing season is well under way with corn just starting to emerge. Over 80 percent of soybeans have been planted with a few wet areas still finishing up. Overall, planting season was easy on us with timely rains and season average temperatures.
Region 3, RSA Tony Lenz (northern Nebraska, southern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota)
Region 3 just caught a significant amount of rain on Wednesday, May 17— enough to shut down planting for a while. For a good portion of Region 3, this was a nice and needed rain (most areas receiving an inch or better) because nearly 90 percent of corn is planted in Minnesota and Nebraska. Southern South Dakota is little farther behind estimating 60-70% planted in my region.
Soybeans went in the ground very quickly with southern South Dakota having the least planted at probably 25 percent. The corn that was planted back in mid-April has come up way better than expected with very little needing to be replanted in my region.
Region 4, RSA Todd Schomburg (northwestern Iowa, east central Nebraska)
By the end of May, all the corn should be planted. Very little replant has been seen. Most of the farmers in the cold, wet period stopped planting per our recommendation as well as other agronomists. It seems like the far northwest part of my region was probably farthest behind in planting from the beginning because of the cold, wet soil. It’s good that they waited it out. Corn is starting to emerge and it looks healthy. With recent patterns of rain, some growers may be looking at replant but it seems to be minimal at this time. For soybeans, we’re probably going to be 75 percent planted by the end of the month. The rest will be planted after the wet, cool period passes.
Region 8, RSA Mike Eckels (northcentral Missouri)
I would say that 100 percent of the corn is planted in Region 8. Most of it went in really well, but because of heavy rains, probably 20 percent had to be replanted. For soybeans, we are 75 percent planted. We received about three inches of rain this past weekend, so we will have to wait and see if replant is necessary for any soybeans.
Region 10, RSA Tony Pleggenkuhle (southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa)
We have about 95 percent of corn and 60–70 percent of soybeans planted in Region 10. Growers are waiting to see what will happen with the early planted corn that was ahead of the cold temperatures and rain. Emergence looks good so far, although there are some areas where ponding is a concern.
Region 14, RSA Kevin Ryan (Missouri Bootheel, west Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana)
Flooding is a major concern in north central and northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. Corn planting is complete, but there may be some replant on conventional corn contracts. On high and dry ground, soybean planting is progressing rapidly with over 80 percent planted in many areas. Flooded areas are a concern as growers may not get in these fields for weeks. The corn crop is getting sunlight and heat units now, so it is looking much better. Soybeans have a long way to go.
Region 17, RSA Doug Score (parts of Indiana and mid-southern Ohio)
Region 17 has about 75 percent of our corn planted and around 35 percent of the soybeans are in the ground. Most of April we had great planting weather. The forecast at the time kept people planting up to the rain. The rain came the end of April and stayed around for a few weeks. This waterlogged our region, and kept growth stagnant. Unfortunately, from what it appears, the replant will be significant, especially in the flat, poorly-drained fields. I expect a large percentage and corn and soybeans will need to be replanted. In addition to the replant, there are some areas of spotty frost effecting the early planted soybeans around the Indiana/Ohio line. We hope everyone has a safe finish to the planting season, and a worry-free summer.
Region 18, RSA Jason Green (southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Kentucky)
Planting in Kentucky is rapidly coming to a close with around 85 percent of acres planted. April started off wet for Kentucky with little to no field work, but May has seen a change to drier conditions and fast planting. Southern Indiana and southern Illinois has been drastically different. March and April brought on perfect planting conditions with most areas reaching 75 percent to almost 100 planted. At the end of April, we had major rain events bringing upwards of 16 inches in areas, and replant has become a reality for most farmers. Estimated replant on corn has been anywhere from 5 to 80 percent. The hope is as we close out the month of May, we can close the planting season and look forward to watching the crop grow. As always, stay safe and plant more Stine.
Region 20, RSA Darrin Petty (southwest Iowa, northwest Missouri, southeast Nebraska and northern Kansas)
Growers in Region 20 have about 85–100 percent of their corn in the ground. Soybean acres are about 35–75 percent complete. We’ve had some issues with rain here and there.