Agricultural Summary

Frequent showers over most of the state proved very beneficial for young corn plants, emerging soybeans, pasture grasses, and livestock water supplies, although they also delayed the hay harvest somewhat. In contrast to the rest of the state, dryness continues to be a problem in the southeast district, where center pivots are running more than usual for this time of year, emerged non-irrigated crops are being stressed, and several fields have soybean seed lying in dry soil. State-wide, topsoil moisture rates 3 percent very short, 13 percent short, 65 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture rates 2 percent very short, 13 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Bootheel fields are 80 percent short to very short of topsoil moisture and 47 percent short to very short of subsoil moisture. There were 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

Corn planting is complete except for a few flooded areas, mostly in the northwest district, that are waiting to be planted a second or even third time. Emergence is at 90 percent, slightly behind the 5-year average of 93 percent. Corn condition rates 3 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 58 percent good, and 10 percent excellent, up 6 points in good to excellent over last week. Soybean planting stands at 66 percent complete, 9 days behind last year and 3 days behind the normal pace of 72 percent. The southwest district is only 8 percent planted, as progress has been hampered by soaking rains. Soybeans are 49 percent emerged, 4 days behind last year and marginally behind the 5-year average of 52 percent. Emergence is a concern in dry Bootheel soils. Sorghum planting is 68 percent complete, trailing last year by 11 days and normal by 5 days. Rice emergence is nearly complete in the Bootheel, while condition of the crop rates 6 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 65 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, a slight deterioration from last week. Cotton squaring is at 4 percent, the same as average. Cotton condition is rated 10 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 58 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Seventy-three percent of the winter wheat is turning color, 3 days behind last year but slightly ahead of normal. A few fields have been harvested in the south-central district, although reporters indicate that more fields than anticipated will not be harvested for grain in that district as well as the southwest. Wheat condition is rated 22 percent very poor, 34 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 10 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, identical to last week. The first cutting of alfalfa is 61 percent harvested, 9 days behind last year and 4 days behind average. Other hay is 38 percent harvested, 4 days behind last year but on pace with normal. Although the April freeze and army worms reduced first-cutting production, the moisture has made very good prospects for productive second cuttings of both grasses and alfalfa.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition improved to 3 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 45 percent fair, 35 percent good, and 7 percent excellent, 6 points better than last week in good to excellent. Hay supply is estimated as 12 percent very short, 43 percent short, 44 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus, 12 points better in adequate to surplus than last month at this time. Ponds and streams are in excellent shape statewide, with stock water supplies rated 2 percent short, 89 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus.

Weather Summary

Temperatures averaged 2 to 4 degrees above normal over most of the state. Rainfall averaged 1.64 inches. Generally, it was very wet to the west but became drier to the east and southeast. The southeast (0.41 inches), south-central (0.58 inches), and east-central (0.81 inches) districts were on the low end, while the southwest (3.55 inches) and west-central (3.06 inches) averaged the most. Other districts received one and one-half inches or more.