Well-Positioned Rains Help Sprout Missouri Corn

Despite rainfall averaging 0.3″ below normal across Missouri, timely rains in key growing areas helped to put corn emergence ahead of average pace.  The weekly USDA Crop Progress Report has 12 percent of the state’s corn sprouting as of Sunday, three points ahead of a year ago and nine points better than average.  The first three percent of Missouri soybeans have also emerged.  However, those rains did slow the state’s planters down a touch.  Corn planting is now three points behind a year ago at 47 percent, while soybean planting is three points ahead of last year at 16 percent.  Both are well ahead of the five-year average.

In the Bootheel, rice planting is now two points ahead of last year at 56 percent.  That’s 31 points ahead of normal.  14 percent of the crop has emerged.  Cotton planting has crawled to three percent complete, still running faster than a year ago and the five-year average.

Winter wheat heading is 23 percent complete, 14 points ahead of a year ago and 18 points faster than normal.  Conditions improved last week by two points, with 77 percent of the crop rated good to excellent against two percent poor or very poor.  Pasture conditions also improved, with 51 percent good to excellent while 11 percent of fields are rated poor or very poor.  A third of Missouri farmers are believed to be short or very short on hay supply, while 18 percent reportedly lack adequate stock water.

28 percent of Missouri topsoil and 46 percent of subsoil lack adequate moisture.  Precipitation averaged 0.7″ last week, while temperatures were 3.7 degrees above normal at 60.7°F.  An average of 4.8 days were suitable for fieldwork.