Agricultural Summary

Cool, overcast conditions were the rule for the week, with 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Spring tillage stands at 89% complete, 1 week behind last year but 1 week ahead of normal. The cool, cloudy weather is slowing corn development as well as soybean planting and emergence. Initial hay cuttings are yielding below average, as expected from early spring dryness. Topsoil moisture supply is little changed from last week, rated at 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 8 percent surplus. Topsoil moisture ratings are lowest in the northeast district, which has seen substantially less rain than other districts in the past four weeks. Subsoil moisture levels are still a concern in much of the State.

Field Crops Report

Corn planting progress is 96 percent complete, 3 days ahead of last year and 16 days ahead of the 5-year average of 86 percent. Emergence is at 87 percent, 1 week ahead of last year and 2 weeks beyond normal. Despite rapid emergence, growth has been very slow, with plants taking on a yellowish appearance. Corn condition is rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Soybean planting stands at 26 percent complete, while emergence is at 7 percent, about even with the normal pace. Compared to last year, planting is 4 days behind and emergence is 2 days behind. Sorghum planting is at 43 percent, the same as last year but 2 days ahead of normal. Rice planting advanced only 1 percent over last week to 91 percent complete, now a few days behind last year but still 10 days ahead of normal. Emergence is at 87 percent, several days ahead of both last year and the 5-year average. Condition of the crop is 1 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 11 percent excellent. Cotton planting is 53 percent complete, lagging both last year and the 5-year average by over 1 week. Cool, wet weather in the Bootheel is causing poor stands, making significant replanting of cotton likely. The condition of the crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 25 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 30 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Wheat condition is rated 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 46 percent good, and 8 percent excellent. Ninety-five percent of the crop is headed, nearly 2 weeks ahead of both last year and the 5-year average, while 8 percent is turning color, slightly ahead of normal. There is some concern about rust showing up in wet fields. The first cutting of alfalfa is 17 percent complete, 4 days behind last year but on pace with the 5-year average. Other hay is 6 percent cut, a few days ahead of both last year and the normal pace.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 6 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 43 percent fair, 31 percent good, and 5 percent excellent, a slight improvement over last week. Pasture growth has also been slowed by the cool, cloudy weather. Reports indicate that stock water supplies are gradually improving.

Weather Summary

Temperatures were below normal throughout the State, ranging from 3 to 8 degrees below the long-term average. Rainfall averaged 1.07 inches for the week, generally favoring the southern half of the State with the heaviest amounts. The southwest district again received the most at 2.34 inches, while totals in the northern third of the State were mostly less than 0.25 inches.