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Illinois Farmers In Home Stretch of Corn Planting
The last week of May was a pretty good one for many Illinois farmers as most of the state's corn crop is now in the ground.

USDA crop statistician Brad Schwab says 82 percent of the crop is planted, which is still a bit behind the crop's progress at this time last year and well behind the five-year average of 98 percent.

The preventive planting date for corn is this Friday (June 5), which worries Schwab because some farmers are still reporting over-saturated fields and they may not be able to get their crop in the ground before that date. That's why he says some are considering switching over to soybeans, which don't require quite the conditions that corn does. Plus, the preventive planting date for soybeans is between June 15th and 20th.

Soybeans are currently 34 percent planted statewide, which is 20 percent behind last year's level, and nearly 50 percent behind the five-year average.

Sorghum is still well below average with only five percent planted statewide so far, compared to 11 percent at this time last year and 56 percent for the five-year average. Oats are 17 percent headed and wheat is 54 percent filled, with 14 percent turning yellow.

(Illinois Radio Network, USDA)
06 01 09 by Newsroom
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