Another week of wet and cool conditions this week limited what farmers could do in the fields.
Only about one day was sustainable for fieldwork says USDA crop statistician Mark Schleusener.
“Corn planting advanced five points and is now 83 percent complete, compared to 92 percent a year ago and 76 percent for the five year average. Sixty four percent of corn acreage has emerged, compared to 66 percent last year and 45 percent normally,” says Schleusener.
West Southwest farmers have planted 94 percent of the corn crop and 80 percent has emerged.
According to USDA statistics, ten percent of soybean acres have emerged, compared to eight percent normally at this time.
Local farmers have planted nine percent of the soybean crop and three percent has emerged.
Topsoil in the local district was six percent short, 71 percent adequate and 23 percent surplus. Subsoil was eight percent short, 81 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus.
The state’s average temperature, 58.8 degrees, was nearly three degrees cooler than normal. As for precipitation, an average of 2.09 inches of rainfall fell across the state, an increase of 1.19 inches from normal.
The West Southwest District got 1.43 inches of rain during the week, which is just more than half an inch above normal.