Weather puts brakes on planting
May 28, 2008 10:56 AM
A familiar refrain has played in Mid-South crop fields this year. Just when planting seems to gaining momentum, along comes a shower to park machines once again. It’s put much of the upper Mid-South, as well as other regions, behind in planting progress.
According to USDA Crop Progress report for the week ending May 25, 52 percent of the nation’s corn crop had been planted, compared to 80 percent this time last year and a five-year average of 76 percent.
Tennessee’s corn crop is 82 percent planted, compared to 99 percent last year and a five-year average of 99 percent.
Only 52 percent of the nation’s soybean crop had been planted by May 25, compared to 74 percent last year and a five-year average of 67 percent.
Soybean planting is 85 percent complete in Mississippi and 82 percent complete in Louisiana, but only 39 percent complete in Tennessee and 41 percent complete in Arkansas.
Seventy-one percent of the nation’s cotton crop had been planted by May 25, compared to 69 percent last year and a five-year average of 73 percent. Planting is lagging in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Most of the nation’s rice crop has been planted. The nation’s leader in rice acres, Arkansas, had planted 90 percent of intended acres by May 25, compared to a five-year average of 98 percent.
