Column: Crop Watch: Cold Spring Weather Prevents Early U.S. Planting – Reuters

Acres of soybeans seen at the Pioneer-DuPont Seed facility in Addieville, Illinois U.S., September 19, 2018. Picture taken September 19, 2018. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant

NAPERVILLE, Ill., April 13 (Reuters) – It is too early yet for U.S. corn and soybean planting to be in full swing, but the Crop Watch producers will certainly not get an early start this year due to cold, and in some cases, wet conditions.

The only Crop Watch farmer that has begun his planting efforts is in Kansas, owing to dry conditions there. The other 10 have not started, but a few of them could be rolling as early as next week if the weather allows. Most of the others hope to get going in the last few days of April.

Crop Watch follows 11 corn and 11 soybean fields across nine U.S. states, including two each in Iowa and Illinois. This is the fifth consecutive year for the project, which gathers weekly updates, photos and crop ratings from each location throughout the growing season.

The 2021 edition added producers in South Dakota, western Iowa and western Illinois, and it also featured a new location in Indiana. All 11 producers are back for the 2022 running.

Weekly reports will start after the subject fields have emerged, which should be late May for most locations. But for now, the farmers are offering their thoughts about their upcoming planting.

CONDITIONS AND CONCERNS

Soil conditions are mixed across the Corn Belt. The Crop Watchers in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas report the ground is dry, a major concern going forward but helpful for planting. The Ohio location is also dry and welcomes any rain in the coming weeks.

The Iowa and Minnesota producers report that soil conditions are just about right, but the fields in Illinois and Indiana are too wet, and the cold temperatures are not helping ease the situation.

Almost all producers mentioned the recent and upcoming cooler temperatures as a top concern. Corn in particular does not like being planted in cold soils, and the lack of warmth in the weeks immediately after planting can limit eventual yield potential.

A few others noted anxiety over the soil conditions and weather in general as they pertain to herbicides and other chemical applications. With the high cost of inputs and tight availability, the growers must ensure perfect timing this year to maximize impact.

Market participants were troubled by the blizzard in North Dakota this week, which produced at least 16 inches (41 cm) of snow near the Crop Watch fields. The producer wishes that had been rain, though the snow was welcomed versus nothing.

TIMING

As of Wednesday, most of the Crop Watchers believe they could still get their planting done on time pending the weather. However, most of them will start later than last year and a bit later than preferred. Most of the Midwest is expected to remain cool with lighter rainfall over the next week.

Last year, the southeastern Illinois soybeans were planted April 6 and the ones in Indiana went in April 9. Nine of the 11 soybean fields in 2021 were planted by May 7. Last year’s Crop Watch soybean yields were collectively good but slightly lower than in 2018, which featured only eight growers.

In southeastern Illinois, one of the densest soybean-growing regions of the country, the producer is disappointed that soggy soils caused him to miss the early planting window. Early-to-mid-April sown beans have turned out some of the strongest yields there.

Crop Watch corn planting was relatively quick last year, with nine of the 11 fields done by April 29. The first of the 22 fields for 2022 was planted on April 12, the corn in Kansas. North Dakota and Ohio said their efforts will start in May, but the other eight hope to get going this month.

The growers in South Dakota, Nebraska and western Iowa are aiming for a Monday start, while those in Indiana and western Illinois could start later next week. Planting may not begin in southeastern Illinois, eastern Iowa and Minnesota until the final days of April.

On average in the last five years, some 5% of U.S. corn is planted by mid-April. That reaches about 10% by April 21 and 30% by April 30. Planting progress was 2% on Sunday, unchanged on the week, and soybean progress is not being reported yet.

The halfway point for U.S. planting statistically comes on May 8 for corn and May 20 for soybeans. Beans usually reach 10% completion on April 29, and one-third is covered by May 13.

Karen Braun is a market analyst for Reuters. Views expressed are her own.

Editing by Richard Pullin

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