Agricultural Summary

More rain and flood waters continued to delay spring planting across most of the State. Excessive moisture had growers concerned about the deterioration of their crop conditions. The Mississippi River bottom is expected to remain under water as a result of heavy rains upstream during the week. Warm and dry weather is urgently needed to improve growing conditions. Producers in the northern, west central, and east central parts of the State are intending to shift acres from corn to soybeans, weather permitting. State-wide, topsoil moisture rates 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 44 percent adequate, and 51 percent surplus. Spring tillage is 81 percent complete, almost a month behind a year ago and over a month behind normal. There were 2.5 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

Corn planted is 90 percent complete for the State, 22 days behind last year and four weeks behind normal. Corn emergence is 83 percent complete, 16 days behind last year and 24 days behind normal. Corn condition rates 3 percent very poor, 12 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 39 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Nitrogen loss continues to be a concern in the north-central, northeast, and south central districts. Soybean planting is 51 percent complete, about three weeks behind last year and normal. The southwest district continued to make very little progress with less than 10 percent planted. State-wide emergence is at 40 percent, 15 days behind last year and 18 days behind normal. Soybean condition is 1 percent very poor, 12 percent poor, 51 percent fair, 33 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Rice condition was reported as 2 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 63 percent good, and 19 percent excellent. Cotton squaring is at 9 percent, 9 days behind last year and 7 days behind normal. Cotton condition rates 4 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 63 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Sorghum planting is 55 percent complete, over two weeks behind last year and over three weeks behind normal. Sorghum condition rates 9 percent poor, 53 percent fair, 35 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Eighty-two percent of the winter wheat is turning color, over a week behind last year and normal. Harvest is 4 percent complete, 7 days behind normal and 5 days behind last year. Progress in the Bootheel jumped 13 points from last week to 14 percent complete. Winter wheat condition for the State is rated 6 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 36 percent good and 3 percent excellent. The first cutting of alfalfa is 61 percent harvested, 12 days behind last year and 18 days behind normal. Other hay is 29 percent cut, about two and a half weeks behind normal and last year. Producers are cutting hay in between showers.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 61 percent good and 9 percent excellent, similar to last week.

Weather Summary

Missouri temperatures during the past week were 1 to 4 degrees above normal throughout the State, with the warmest area being the Bootheel. Rainfall averaged 2.27 inches, ranging from 0.77 inches in the southeast to 4.20 inches in the southwest and 3.73 inches in the west-central.