Ag Weather Forum

No major changes to the wet weather pattern over the south-central U.S., including the southern and eastern Midwest.

Current guidance continues to indicate an active storm track coming out of the southwest U.S., moving along the boundary zone between the cooler air to the west and warmer air to the east. This will maintain a wet weather pattern for the parts of the Midwest and southern states that have been wet. With no end in sight to this pattern, concern continues to mount that significant planting delays will occur this spring. Even in the northwest Midwest and Northern Plains where conditions have recently been drier, there is concern for planting delays this spring as soils are saturated from prior precipitation and the expectations that the storm track will shift northward as we move into the spring season.

We have been seeing more precipitation in the Southern Plains winter wheat belt recently, especially over central and eastern areas. More precipitation would benefit in some western areas. Near to above normal precipitation is expected during the 6- to 10-day period. Overall crop conditions look good when the crop breaks dormancy in the spring.

Generally favorable conditions for filling and maturing soybeans in southern Brazil. An active rainfall pattern in parts of central Brazil could cause some disruptions to the soybean harvest and second-crop corn planting, but nothing major at this time. With no end in sight to the rainy season soil moisture is adequate to surplus for developing second-crop corn.

A drier weather pattern has returned to central Argentina. No heat stress and mostly adequate soil moisture favors filling corn and soybeans at this time. Mostly dry weather and warmer temperatures during the next 7 days will deplete soil moisture for filling crops with some stress possible. This situation bears watching as main-crop soybeans are filling through the month of March with double-cropped soybeans filling through the month of April.

Mike Palmerino can be reached at michael.palmerino@dtn.com

(CZ)

© Copyright 2020 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.