Missouri Corn Begins To Mature

Even with below-average temperatures for much of the past week, the first ears of Missouri corn reached maturity.  The weekly Crop Progress update from USDA reports that three percent of corn has reached maturity, in line with last year’s marks but slightly behind a year ago.  Denting and doughing continue on faster paces, with 61 percent of the state crop dented and 93 percent doughing.  Crop quality did weaken as temperatures surged over the weekend, with 35 percent in good to excellent condition against 36 percent poor or very poor.  Five out of six soybean plants have set their pods, 12 points better than last year and 14 points better than the five-year average.  94 percent of beans are blooming.  Conditions improved compared to last week, with 44 percent good to excellent against 22 percent poor or very poor.

The Bootheel’s crop conditions remain optimal, with three-fourths of rice and 70 percent of cotton rated good to excellent.  Just two percent of cotton is considered poor.  90 percent of cotton in the state has set bolls, while 87 percent of rice has headed.

While precipitation was 0.47″ above normal at 1.25″, farmers went ahead of pace on alfalfa cuttings.  70 percent of fields have received a third cutting, two points ahead of normal and four points ahead of a year ago.  Pasture conditions continued recovering, with 28 percent rated good, up seven points from last week.  However, 41 percent of fields are still in poor or very poor shape.  Just 26 percent of Missouri farmers report having adequate hay supplies.  Rainfall from early in the week contributed to 61 percent of farmers having adequate to surplus moisture.  70 percent of Missouri topsoil and 53 percent of subsoil is considered to have adequate or surplus moisture.  Even with triple-digit heat arriving over the weekend, temperatures across Missouri averaged three degrees below normal at 73.3°F.  Six days were considered suitable for fieldwork.