Iowa Correspondent

BOGGSTOWN, Ind. – As spring planting wraps up across the country, Boggstown farmer Chris Eck said the weather in his area continues to be wet, but with the needed warmth, the crops are growing quickly.

He also had a good planting window that helped him finish all but one field on June 4: “Unfortunately, we still have a river bottom field that has never been dry. It looks like we may get to plant it on June 23.

“The rains have been very constant, but it appears after Wednesday night (June 18), we could have a few sunny, hot and dry days to finish spring work,” he added. “The wheat is a couple weeks behind last year, but with 90-degree days in the forecast, I think it will move fast. This has been a tough spring for most in the area. Hopefully, it creates a decent crop.”

According to the USDA’s June 16 U.S. Crop Progress and Conditions Report, Louisiana and Minnesota were the top two states to finish spring planting, with North Carolina being the first to complete corn planting at 100 percent emergence as of June 15.

The agency said 72 percent of U.S. corn was good to excellent, with 94 percent of the crop emerged. Sixty-six percent of soybeans were in good to excellent condition, with 93 percent of the crop planted, and 84 percent emerged.

The USDA said 52 percent of the nation’s winter wheat was in good to excellent condition, with 93 percent headed, and 10 percent harvested. Fifty-seven percent of spring wheat was good to excellent, with 89 percent planted, and 4 percent emerged.

The USDA added that 48 percent of U.S. cotton was rated good to excellent, and 85 percent was planted, 19 percent was squaring (developing the first flower buds), and 3 percent of the crop was setting (cotton) bolls. Forty-six percent of U.S. pastures and rangelands were good to excellent.

In Indiana, as of June 15, the USDA said 89 percent of corn had emerged. Ninety-three percent of soybeans had been planted, with 85 percent emerging. Ninety-four percent of winter wheat had headed, but none were yet harvested.

In Illinois, 93 percent of corn had emerged. The state had 93 percent of soybeans planted, and 83 percent emerging. Ninety-nine percent of winter wheat had headed, but only 1 percent had been harvested. In Kentucky, 84 percent of corn had emerged. The state had 75 percent of soybeans planted, and 62 percent emerging.

In Michigan, 92 percent of corn had emerged. The state had 95 percent of soybeans planted, and 82 percent emerging. Eighty-eight percent of winter wheat had headed, but only 1 percent had been harvested. In Ohio, 86 percent of corn had emerged. The state had 92 percent of soybeans planted, and 79 percent emerging. Ninety-nine percent of winter wheat had headed, but none were yet harvested.

In Tennessee, 92 percent of corn had emerged. The state had 78 percent of soybeans planted, and 66 percent emerging. Eighty-seven percent of cotton had been planted, with 10 percent squaring. In Iowa, 97 percent of the corn crop had emerged. Ninety-three percent of soybeans had emerged. Iowa’s oat crop reached 69 percent headed. Eighty-eight percent of the first cutting of alfalfa hay had been completed, with the second cutting reaching 16 percent complete.

Justin Glisan, State of Iowa climatologist, told Farm World, “Short-term outlooks through the end of June show a warm front from the central Corn Belt through the Appalachians, where there’s a much higher chance of unseasonably warm temperatures.

“There is also a wetter pattern through the eastern Corn Belt, with near-normal chances in the Appalachians,” he said. “The three-to-four-week outlooks continue to show better chances of warmer temperatures for the entire region, with no clear signal on the precipitation side.”