Corn Planting Progress Nearly Doubles

by Cassidy Walter

Corn and soybean planting progress continue to be ahead of average, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report, released Monday, April 24.

CORN PLANTING PROGRESS

As of April 23, 14% of the U.S. corn crop is planted. That is a leap up 6% from last week and 3% ahead of the five-year average.

According to the report, of the top 18 corn-growing states, North Dakota and South Dakota are the only two who have not yet started planting.

Furthermore, 3% of the crop has now emerged. The five-year average for this time of year is 2%.

SOYBEAN PLANTING PROGRESS

USDA says soybean planting progress jumped up 5% for a total of 9% complete. The five-year average for this time of year is 4%.

Of the top 18 soybean-producing states, only Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are yet to begin planting.

OATS

Oat planting progress jumped 6% week-over-week to 42% complete. This is right in line with the five-year average.

Twenty-eight percent of planted oats have emerged, up 2% from last week and slightly behind the five-year average of 29%.

WHEAT

USDA says 18% of winter wheat is headed. This is up 8% from last week and ahead of the five-year average by 4%.

Winter wheat condition continues to decline, with 41% now rated poor/very poor. This is up 2% from last week.

Winter wheat rated fair went down by 1% to 33% while wheat rated good/excellent declined 1% to 26%.

Five percent of spring wheat is planted, up 2% from last week but behind the five-year average by 7%.

One percent of spring wheat has emerged, behind the fiver-year average of 3%.

Checking in with East Coast Farmers

by Courtney Love

On the East Coast, farmers took advantage of good weather conditions to plant corn and soybeans ahead of schedule. Still, in some regions, others were waiting for week-long warm temperatures before entering their fields.

Planters are rolling in central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania didn't receive a lot of moisture this winter or early spring, so dry ground allowed farmers to roll into their fields to plant a lot quicker than last year. In 2022, USDA reported only 2% of Pennsylvania fields were seeded by April 23. This year, 9% of corn fields have already been planted.

As a result, farmers in Lancaster and Lebanon County are also mowing off their cover crops, rye and triticale, ahead of schedule.

"We are way ahead of schedule, planters are rolling steadily, and a lot of choppers are taking off rye and triticale. Barley heads are also popping up," says Jake Degler, a custom farming operator in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.

He adds that soil temperatures warmed up during the week of April 17 and were suitable to plant.

Degler says that last year most farmers were on schedule with getting into corn fields by the last week of April.

Field pests are also pleased with Pennsylvania's toasty conditions. Weevil pressure is intense in alfalfa, and Degler says he has seen grubs in the soil early because the area had a warmer winter than usual.

"We didn't have a cold winter. There were two or three days of very cold temperatures but nothing strong enough to kill the bugs," says Degler.

Crop farmer Tyler Hess of Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania, about an hour outside Philadelphia, is more cautious this spring. The fluctuating warm-to-cool temperatures have given the 32-year-old farmer pause. He says his area is also 3 inches behind its average springtime rainfall.

According to Penn State Extension, most areas in Pennsylvania have received less than 70% of average rainfall this year, and soil moisture levels remained normal for most of April. But now, it's starting to dry out, especially in the southeastern area where Hess lives.

"I saw planters in fields in neighboring counties back on April 17, and I thought it was kind of crazy," says Hess.

Hess says he hopes to get into the fields the last week of April, as that's about as early as he will risk planting corn.

"I'm not ahead, and I am not behind; it's going to be on schedule," he adds.

Cold, dry weather keeps farmers itch to plant at bay

Western Pennsylvania dairy farmer William Thiele hopes to get warm weather and rain before he gets his corn and soybeans into the ground.

"No one has planted corn and soybeans. It's been dry and cold compared to a usually wet and warm spring," Thiele says.

According to Penn State's Weather World, an increase in cloudiness with possible rain showers was in western Pennsylvania's forecast at the end of April. Cold temperatures were also expected. Thiele has tracked that it's been almost a week and a half that his area has gotten rain, which is abnormal for April.

Last year, wetter conditions held him and his brother, James, from planting their farm's 270 acres in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

"We have been dealing with warm, dry, and windy weather like we did all winter," he says.

In Upton, Kentucky, crop farmer Matt Adams is dealing with similar conditions. His area has only gotten 2 inches of rain so far this month.

But farmers in western Kentucky have already begun planting their corn. Kentucky State Extension says that soil temperatures last week had remained at 50° F, encouraging many to enter the field. However, the forecasted colder temperatures could delay or cause erratic emergence. For the most part, conditions in Adam's north-central Kentucky region have stayed dry and cool.

"We got about an inch of rain on Friday, April 21, and the ground just soaked it up," says Adams.

High winds have also delayed some farmers' opportunities to enter the field. Adams says the high winds prevented him from spraying and burning down his rye and wheat.

Adams adds he is waiting through this cold snap and hopes to start planting his corn sometime in the last week of April.

Tennessee gets ahead in planting

Early corn and soybean planting in Tennessee, especially in the western region, is before April 15. In 2022, USDA reported that 16% of Tennessee corn fields were planted by April 23. This year, farmers have 50% of their corn planted, with 11% of areas seeing an emergence.

Jay Yeargin has started planting his corn in Greenfield, northern Tennessee, and as of April 21, he finished planting his soybeans. Last year, USDA says only 3% of Tennessee farmers got soybeans planted by April 23. This year, the number tripled to 16%.

Yeargin believes he is now two to three weeks ahead of schedule.

"It was about 80°. That's a bit abnormal for us this time of year," he says.

Yeargin and other farmers saw the warmer soil temperatures as an opportunity to enter the fields. It allowed most farmers to get all their hilly or rougher ground planted, says Yeargin.

Corn needs optimal conditions because it's sensitive to soil and environmental factors at the planting stage, says the University of Tennessee Extension. For most of April, it has been drier than average in Greenfield, says Yeargin.

Over the weekend, soil temperatures cooled off and planting slowed. According to Yeargin, some farmers are concerned about the "May rise," when prime crop ground becomes at risk for springtime flood conditions.

"Now, some guys in my area have slowed down and will plant their low ground last," he says.