Dave and Gail Lierer have about 150 acres of corn in the ground and a little fewer than 100 acres of soybeans. This is close to a normal planting season for them.

“We always start around the first of May,” Lierer said. “We could have planted earlier but, to me, the ground was way too cold – I like to wait until the ground gets close to 50-some (ground temperature) degrees before I put anything in the ground.”

Last year the Lierers didn’t start planting until about May 27. Around the state last year only 1 percent of the corn for grain was planted by now, according to the NASS report for the week ending April 22. This year that planting was 34 percent complete, 8 percent above the five-year average. Two percent of the corn is emerged.

In a week in which the temperatures were 3.4 degrees above normal and precipitation was 0.3 inch below normal, 7 percent of soybeans were planted, 6 percent ahead of the five-year average.

Apples at green tip or beyond were rated at 94 percent, compared to 50 percent last year. Peaches at green tip or beyond were at 92 percent, compared to 40 percent in 2011.

Ray Arlinghaus, a southwestern Ohio fruit grower, said fruit growers in that part of the state are still trying to assess frost and freeze damage from the nights of April 6-7. “It runs all the way from significant damage to mild damage,” he said. “There has been probably more than normal spring frost/freeze damage in southwestern Ohio.”

Weather conditions were unfavorable for most of Iowa April 16-22, as the state experienced several cool, rainy days, with many farmers anxious for fields to dry out enough for fieldwork and planting to resume.

“The cool, wet weather that covered much of the state last week slowed planting progress and, as a result, only 9 percent of the corn crop has been planted, which is actually slightly behind the five-year average,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer.

According to Michael Timlin of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, rainfall totals in southwestern Iowa were about a quarter-inch and reached about 2 inches in northeastern Iowa, with a couple of locations topping 3 inches.

The April 23 Iowa Crop & Weather report said despite the rainy weather, corn planting advanced 4 percent and now is 9 percent complete, with 1 percent emerging, 13 days ahead of normal. With soybeans, some farmers have planted fields, but at less than 1 percent.

The report also said oat planting was 94 percent complete, with 57 percent expected to emerge. Currently, 69 percent of Iowa’s pasture and rangeland is rated good to excellent, a 6 percent decrease from the previous week.

“It is still very early, and with dry weather forecast for much of (April 23-29), I expect a lot of progress to be made and farmers to get their corn planted in a timely manner,” Northey said.

Crop planting continues to stay ahead of last year as a warm and now dry spring remains intact. But dry weather may not be what farmers need at this time.

Much of the western portion of the state and an area in the northeast is considered abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with some counties reaching the moderate-drought stage. Altogether, more than 44 percent of the state is suffering from dry conditions.

As of April 23, 75 percent of the corn had been planted, which is well ahead of 16 percent last year and the five-year average of 29 percent, according to latest NASS Kentucky field office report.

The Kentucky winter wheat crop is listed as mostly good despite a spring freeze from a couple of weeks ago. Just days after the occurrence, experts from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture inspected wheat in western Kentucky.

Their report noted, “Overall, based on our assessment of wheat at the UK Research and Education Center, there was little, if any, freeze damage that occurred to the wheat. The main concern was floret sterility (i.e., pollen killed resulting in no kernel development).

“However, our assessment of viable anthers and beginning kernel development indicate no extensive freeze damage occurred.”

With that said, there is still the possibility of wheat yield loss in some areas of the state.

Soybean producers are ahead of schedule and have just begun to plant, with 7 percent of the crop thus far making it in the ground. The first cutting of alfalfa is also taking place throughout many areas in Kentucky. It too is ahead of schedule.

Planting is begun for corn and soybeans in Tennessee, according to a report by NASS for the week ending April 22.

Corn growers reported nearly all of their crop has been planted, which is early compared to most years. The report states that normally at this time of year only half of the crop is planted.

While soybean planting has begun, most growers said they wouldn’t start planting in earnest until May 1.

Recent freezing weather conditions appear not have impacted the state’s corn and wheat crops, which were reported to be in mostly good-to-excellent condition. Light-to-moderate insect pressure on wheat was noted, according to the NASS report.

In addition to planting, growers were harvesting hay and applying pesticides and fertilizers. Many areas of the state reported scarce supplies of fertilizer, NASS stated.

Tim Campbell, Dyer County agent, said planting is going along well in his county. “Wheat is progressing well. Corn planting is essentially finished. There may still be a few isolated acres planted over the next few days, but the majority of producers are finished.

“Some producers are experiencing fomasofen (Reflex) injury on corn acres from carryover from last year or sprayer overlap this year, with recent weather conditions we have experienced.”

The NASS report states topsoil moisture levels were rated 3 percent very short, 28 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 2 percent very short, 22 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.

Temperatures were slightly above normal in East Tennessee and slightly below normal in West Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.