Agricultural Summary

A mostly dry week with 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork enabled farmers to make significant progress in row crop planting and hay cutting. A tour of floods along the Missouri River in northwest and north-central parts of the state indicated substantial loss of planted acreage throughout the affected areas. Many county roads in those areas were damaged, with some still impassable. Much work will need to be done to repair terraces, clean drainage ditches, and clear trees and sand. Some farmers indicate they will replant lost corn acres to grain sorghum, but sorghum seed has been difficult to find. Meanwhile, reports of army worm damage are becoming more widespread across the southern two-thirds of the state. Spring tillage is 84 percent complete, 3 weeks behind last year and 1 week behind normal. Topsoil moisture rates 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Some topsoil dryness is developing in the three eastern districts, but adequate subsoil moisture is still in place.

Field Crops Report

Corn planting advanced 22 points over last week to 87 percent complete, but trails last year by 3 weeks and behind the normal pace of 91 percent. Planting could wrap up quickly if growers in flooded areas switch to sorghum or soybeans. Corn emergence is at 66 percent, 17 days behind last year and 11 days behind the 81 percent average. Corn condition rates 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 53 percent good, and 8 percent excellent. Soybean planting also made good progress, ending the week at 34 percent complete, 4 days behind last year and 2 days behind the average pace of 40 percent. Soybeans are 11 percent emerged, about 3 days behind last year and 4 days behind normal. A reporter in the northwest indicated some early soybeans damaged by bean leaf beetles. Sorghum planting is 35 percent complete, lagging last year by 12 days and normal by 1 week. Rice planting is 96 percent complete, even with last year and 9 days ahead of normal. Rice emergence, at 83 percent, is 10 days behind last year but 1 week ahead of average. Rice condition rates 6 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 73 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. Cotton planting is nearing completion at 96 percent, about 12 days ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of the 5-year average. A few cases of blowing sand did enough damage to cause some replanting. The wheat crop is 91 percent headed, 8 days behind last year but slightly ahead of normal. Ten percent of the crop is turning color, 5 days behind last year but slightly ahead of average. Wheat condition is rated 21 percent very poor, 36 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 10 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, little change from last week. The Bootheel has seen some flag leaf damage from army worms. The first cutting of alfalfa is 39 percent harvested, about the same as last year and 3 days ahead of normal. Other hay is 21 percent cut, 2 days ahead of last year and 6 days in front of average. Army worm infestations have become a problem in hay fields throughout the southern two-thirds of the state, affecting both the quantity and quality of hay cuttings.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 4 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 47 percent fair, 31 percent good, and 5 percent excellent, a slight deterioration from last week.

Weather Summary

Temperatures averaged a few degrees either side of normal, with northern sections 1 to 2 degrees above average and southern areas 3 to 4 degrees below normal. State-wide rainfall averaged 0.45 inches. Little variation was seen around the state, as all districts received about one-third to one-half inch.