AMES, Iowa – According to agricultural meteorologists, this spring has hit the slowest pace in corn planting since 2000, with Iowa and Illinois the furthest behind.

“The numbers are correct that since 2000, we are behind 2013 as the slowest for corn planting,” said Dennis Todey, director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames. “(The year) 2019 is lurking, too. In 2013, there was a quick planting that occurred in mid-May. In 2019, things just kept being slow.

“Iowa and Illinois are the furthest behind planting corn,” he added. “Minnesota and Missouri are next, with Indiana and Ohio well behind, but not as much.”

He said his concern for these states right now is generally slow planting.

“We are not at a critical point yet, but starting to get there,” he said. “We have lost some high-end yields by shortening the season. Yields can still be good if we get planting soon. We will also likely get delayed a bit in the fall. And there might be some additional drying required.

“But that greatly depends on the rest of the growing season,” he added. “The other issue now is that people will start getting anxious and plant maybe sooner than soils would allow. That could lead to compaction issues.”

Justin Glisan, state climatologist for Iowa, said farmers are “definitely behind the five-year average and a delayed start for much of the region, with recent colder temperatures and wetness. Soil temperatures have finally got above 50 degrees for planting corn and beans.

“In broad terms, delayed planting for many of the states. The silver lining is that these wetter conditions, especially in Iowa, have helped replenish some subsoil, moisture profiles, and ease drought conditions.”

He said farmers are anxious to get planting, given the cold and wet late March and April.

“Soil temperatures were hovering around 50 degrees for a while, but really got above that threshold in the last 10 days,” he said. “The hot and generally dry conditions this week (May 8-14) will help dry out topsoil and give farmers an excellent window to make progress.”

In Indiana, another cool, wet week limited fieldwork throughout much of the state for the week ending May 8, as corn and soybean planting remained well behind schedule, according to Nathanial Warenski, state statistician.

“Soil moisture levels increased from the previous week, with 98 percent of topsoil moisture reported as adequate or surplus,” he said. “Above-average rainfall slowed planting progress throughout much of the state, with both corn and soybeans planted falling well behind their five-year averages.

“Ponding was reported in some fields, along with minor flooding near some rivers. Winter wheat progress remained behind schedule, and crop condition declined slightly from the previous week.”

In Illinois, the state’s latest crop report said there were 1.7 days suitable for field work during the week ending May 8; statewide, the average temperature was 53.9 degrees, 4.7 degrees below normal.

The report said the state’s corn planted reached 15 percent, compared to the five-year average of 58 percent. Corn emerged reached 1 percent, compared to the five-year average of 23 percent. Soybeans planted reached 11 percent, compared to the five-year average of 30 percent.

Moreover, winter wheat headed was 19 percent, compared to the five-year average of 42 percent. Winter wheat condition was rated 9 percent very poor, 16 percent poor, to 11 percent excellent.

In Ohio, excessive rainfall continued to slow planting progress, said Cheryl Turner, state statistician.

“Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 40 percent adequate, and 60 percent surplus,” she said. “The average temperature for the week ending May 8 was 56.4 degrees, 0.5 degrees above normal. Weather stations recorded an average of 2.11 inches of precipitation, 1.23 inches above average. There were 1.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 8.”

She said wet weather saturated fields, limiting planting by row crop producers.

“Corn was 5 percent planted, behind 26 percent last year,” she said. “Soybean planting progress was 4 percent, down from the previous year’s progress of 20 percent. Oats were 53 percent planted, and 26 percent of oats were emerged. Winter wheat jointing was 68 percent, while the winter wheat crop was rated 56 percent good to excellent condition,” she added, which was down from the previous week.

In Michigan, rain continued to saturate fields across much of the state, keeping producers from fieldwork, according to Marlo D. Johnson, director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service Great Lakes Regional Office.

“There were 2.5 days suitable for fieldwork in Michigan during the week ending May 8,” she said. “Cooler temperatures and rainfall continued most of the week. A few counties in the Northern Lower Peninsula reported warm and dryer conditions, which allowed some progress in planting oats and potatoes.”

She said abnormally dry areas in the Upper Peninsula included Chippewa and Mackinac counties.

“In the Lower Peninsula, there are reports that winter wheat was slowly breaking dormancy,” she said. “The first corn of the year was planted in Oceana County. Sugarbeet and soybean planting progressed throughout the thumb region.”

She added despite another cool week, fruit development progressed albeit slowly. Apples in the Southwest ranged from tight cluster to king bloom. Vegetable producers across the state were laying plastic, and establishing rye windbreaks in anticipation of warmer weather.

In Iowa, the state’s latest crop report said farmers made little progress the previous week, with just 14 percent of Iowa’s expected corn crop planted, at least two weeks behind both last year, and the five-year average.

However, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said, “A noticeable shift in the cool and wet weather pattern appears to have given farmers a much-needed window for planting” the week of May 9-14.

“In the days ahead, unseasonably hot temperatures and isolated chances of thunderstorms should allow farmers to make good progress,” he said.

The state’s crop report said 7 percent of soybeans have been planted, 12 days behind last year, and 11 days behind average. Seventy-two percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 17 days behind last year, and 11 days behind the 5-year average.

The report added 32 percent of the oat crop has emerged, 12 days behind last year, and 8 days behind normal. The first hay condition rating of the season was rated 1 percent very poor, to 7 percent excellent.

In Kentucky, the state’s latest crop report said, “Farmers forged ahead and made progress in the fields, despite some unstable weather. Much of the state was subject to periods of persistent precipitation until the weather changed for the better following Derby day.”

Although more corn has been planted, progress remains well behind last year, and the five-year average as 14 percent of the crop has emerged, the state’s crop report said. Soybean planting is trailing last year, but just ahead of the five-year average. As soybean planting is still in the early stages, only 2 percent of the crop has emerged.

Glisan said the overall regional crop and weather forecast for the next few weeks is temperature outlooks show elevated chances for warmer conditions from the Appalachians through Nebraska, with near-normal temperatures for the northern parts of Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota.

“Rainfall outlooks show near-normal conditions in the 6-10 day time frame, to a slightly-elevated wetter signal across the eastern Corn Belt,” he said.