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| More Preparation that Corn Planting So Far on Illinois Farms |
A week of warm and wet weather prevented the state's crop producers from getting any real planting done, but pretty much all the preparations before they hit the field are done.
The USDA's weekly crop progress report shows, for a second straight week, farmers had less than three full days suitable for fieldwork last week. That was caused by precipitation that averaged one inch statewide, which is about a quarter of an inch above normal. The temperature averaged 57.1 degrees compared to the norm of around 48 degrees in early April.
Locally, precipitation last week averaged 81-hundredths of an inch and the average temperature in the west crop reporting district was 56.7 degrees. Days suitable for fieldwork totaled just one-and-a half days.
USDA crop statistician Mark Schleusener says while farmers are in the field, most are not planting corn yet. "Oat planting has reached 73 percent and our five-year average is 36 percent, so we're well ahead on that," Shleusener said. "But in terms of corn, the main crop of interest right now, just one percent (planted)."
The five-year average for corn planting at this early point in the season is 4 percent complete. Less than one percent had been planted a year ago.
The state's topsoil moisture is rated 99 percent adequate or surplus. The only area that's a bit dry is the southwestern portion of the state.
The USDA says last week involved a lot of equipment preparation along with soil tillage and a small amount of corn planting. Many producers are busy applying fertilizer and spraying wheat. |
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| 04 17 10 by Newsroom |
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