Editors' Notebook

The radar maps have been getting a work out.

From days of steady rains to inches in just a few hours, moisture has been abundant in the Midwest. Northern states are still dealing with snow, while wind has been tormenting hard red winter wheat fields to the south. Then there are those devastating tornadoes that have been hitting the southeast.

It's a lot of weather in only a few days.

We asked our reader consulting group how conditions are in their areas and what planting progress has been made. Here are their responses.

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Will Nicholson, Cherry Valley, Arkansas

My part of Arkansas was spared. So far with 1.5 to 2 of rain. But north of us received 7-10, so rivers will rise. Corn is mainly done in area. Rice is running out of time. Some areas are about done; some like a long way [to go] (too wet). Some beans have been planted and some up. We hope to start on beans end of the week. If it dries out.

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Bob Birdsell, Stanberry, Missouri

We missed the storms had half inch of rain and some wind; not bad though. There were some who planted the first part of April and it is just coming up. I can't tell about the stand from the road but you can row it. I made a trip up I-35 to Des Moines Monday and it looks like a lot of ground ready to plant but don't think any corn was planted. It was hard to tell with it just rained and trying to stay focused on driving. We still haven't started.

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Kenneth Zahm, Marne, Michigan

Planted 25 acres of oats (first time in 30 years). Cold, wet, and rainy; also too windy to spray burndown. Not much happening in west Michigan.

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Jason Willemarck, Baraboo, Wisconsin

Here in the central part of Wisconsin (Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells) we are at a standstill for all field work. Two weeks ago we had 4-5 inches of rain over a weekend with flooding in any low lands. Now all this week we are expecting yet more rain of about 2-3 inches. All the low land has standing water and even some high ground has pockets of water. We are in a sandy loam area and around us is clay to heavy soil. All the river bottoms, creeks and any waterway has plenty of water in it. I thought I seen salmon running up one creek bed. No, really, we have flooding just about everywhere. It will be a long time before planters are running now with this much rain. I did see on the sand country around us that some sweet corn was planted. With cold rain, cold ground I think it will have a hard struggle coming up. But, it could be the best tasting because it will have a tendency to put a lot more sugar into the corn.

With all the rain we haven't even been able to get into the pastures to work on fencing. This year is starting out a lot like last year in that we had several inches of rain in April then in August when we need it the most we didn't get a drop for over 4 weeks.

Keep an eye on the markets and take advantage of the run ups as the planting reports come out. A nickel and dime runs are worth locking in some bushels.

Have all the equipment ready and waiting at the shed doors for the green light to shine and begin the all-day and night run. Sometimes planting at night seems less stressful for some reason.

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David Kjelstrup, North Dakota

It's been snowing and raining since Sunday evening probably 1.5 to 2 inches. No farming for a while. I understand north of Minot it's really wet. Crop insurance will not pay on prevented planting after three years. I'm thinking this year will be interesting. I've never planted corn first, but that might be the case. Another late harvest? Before it started raining my neighbor got stuck combining corn. And the railroad situation has not got any better.

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James Harris, Madison, Florida

We are finished with corn and starting to side dress the oldest. We hope to start planting peanuts in the next few days. Then hopefully in 10 days start getting some beans in.

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Phil Carter, New Era, Michigan

Not much new to report from west-central Michigan. Still cold soil conditions have resulted in no planters moving on this side. Fruit trees are going in the ground and some tillage being done. When it does warm up (probably Memorial Day) we may get moving. Figures such as degree days are indicating we're 10 days to 2 weeks behind normal (? define normal). Has been very windy here over the weekend and continuing into today (Monday); quite a few power lines down and lots of grass fires.

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Scott Wallis, southwest Indiana

Here in southwest Indiana there is close to 1/3 done according to seed reps. We personally are 60% done; we have received 2.25 inches of rain so far with more on the way. Don't want to complain as 30 miles to the west has had close to 5 already.

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Pete Bardole, Jefferson, Iowa

We planted around 900 acres this week; not all of it sprayed yet but I will get that done sooner or later. We had about 0.5 inches of rain Sunday afternoon and we are getting some now. In this area (Greene County, central Iowa) planters ran hard all week and covered a lot of ground; I would guess 60% of the corn is in the ground. Most of the dry fertilizer and anhydrous has been applied. I have not heard of any soybeans being planted but there probably are some.

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John Moore, Manhattan, Illinois

Some corn planted in northeastern Illinois but nothing exciting yet. Chiseled ground is getting leveled off and ammonia going on. I think the fertilizer companies were busier than the farmers at this point. One interesting thing to note was all the winter SRW wheat field that were ripped up. Not many fields made it through the winter. I have 23 acres that actually look pretty good. (Somebody upstairs is finally smiling down on me I think.) Hope that's a good sign for the rest of my crops this year.

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Dave Tollefson, Starbuck, Minnesota

Here in central Minnesota we have had 3 inches of rain in the last week; it's still coming down, and could be wet the rest of the week. I did get my 70 acres of wheat in the ground last Tuesday, but the low spots now have water standing. A couple spots were too wet to plant, so when harvest comes, there's going to be green wheat along with the ripe wheat on the higher areas.

Guys in my area were putting on anhydrous a week ago, but the inch of rain last Wednesday put a stop to that. I saw one corn planter in the field 20 miles from here last Saturday on the way back from the Twin Cities. Looks like all the corn will go in during the month of May.

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Justin Premo, Columbus, Wisconsin

Rain, rain and more rain ... A couple guys have a few acres of new seeding in and tried the corn planters just to test them, but other than that the ground is still very cold and wet. I have heard from neighbors that the seed company reps are telling the guys who are planting corn that replants are not covered with the ground temps being so cold. The best case scenario if we miss some of the 2-3 inches would be middle to end of next week to start planting, and that would be planting around wet holes. With temps running 10+ degrees below normal day and night, the ground has a long way to go to warm up.

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Karen Johnson, Avoca, Iowa

We got done with corn planting Saturday 4/26/14. It's a good feeling. Beans can wait a couple days due to the rain we got and the cold expected this week, and some touch ups on the planter.

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Mark Nowak, Wells, Minnesota

Here in south-central Minnesota, I am not aware of any corn being planted. A few nitrogen applicators got going on Saturday. Then it rained and rained and then more overnight. 2.5 inches since Sunday morning. That brings April total so far to 5.8". That is nearly double an average April for around here. Last year in April I recorded 6.84 inches of rain. The forecast is for another inch plus in the next 72 hours. That would push this April to over 7". Most fields have water standing this morning. With that observation, it would take a week or better to get fields dried out for planting. The 6-10 day is not favorable for an extended dry period. It would be unprecedented for this area to endure another prevented planting scenario like we saw last year. Up until last year, the adage was "We've always got it planted." That is no longer true. Stay tuned.

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Bud Tate, Greenwood, Mississippi

We have been averaging about 1.5" rain per week, for a month, which means all of the quick drying land is already planted. The February corn planted by my house in Stoneville, Miss., is starting to take up nitrogen. The soybeans, in front of my house, were compacted by last week's rain, and in the crook, should be to a stand after today's rain. There won't be much corn planted, from this point on, in the Mississippi Delta. The 6-10 day forecast is for below normal precipitation. Hallelujah!!

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Doug Zillinger, Logan, Kansas

Had a good weekend after some much needed rain. Last Monday, we had 0.55 inch. Wednesday, 2.25 inches. It was a little fast and hard and ran some pond water. The corn planters were moving midweek on the irrigated ground but only ran for about a day and got rained out. This week looks like wind and lots of it so that will slow things up while we wait for it to dry up enough to go.

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Jan Layman, Kenton, Ohio

West-central Ohio. Nothing done here yet, besides some ammonia and fert/lime spreading. Nearly an inch so far today, and rain for rest of week. Doesn't look good so far.

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Adam Stonecipher, Danville, Illinois

From talking to my clients, it seems like western Illinois has made some really good planting progress last week, with a few guys that are completely done with corn. It seems from there, the further east you go, the less is planted. Guys were rolling in east-central Illinois last week and at least have a good start. I drove from Champaign to northern Illinois on Friday and saw only a couple of planters, but lots of gas going on and fieldwork being done. Very little activity near I-80 and north. And then western Indiana seems behind, with what I would consider a very little bit in the ground. I've only heard of a very few beans in the ground anywhere.

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Matt Miller, Kalona, Iowa

Not much going on here in Kalona, Iowa. Would have been going today if we wouldn't had the 1.5" yesterday, not complaining about rain yet though, the worst of the storms were 15 miles west of us. Everybody is just waiting to get going.

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Cory Ritter, Blue Mound, Illinois

As of Saturday evening, all our corn is in the ground. Good feeling! On Sunday, we received 0.6-0.75" of rain. Really the perfect amount, more in the forecast, we'll see if perfect goes to too much! Our first planted, 4/19/14, is ready to break through. We are waiting for planting our soybeans till the cold weather to pass.

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Jeff Littrell, Chatfield, Minnesota

This is on top of the 3 to 4 inches we've had since mid-April! Got pastures spread Friday and might have been close early this week! Right now even if we get tenths and not inches maybe mid-May but grounds not really fit and frost still coming out yet. Tiles running but got updates that some are froze further north in the tundra.

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Barry Mumby, Colon, Michigan

We haven't started yet but a few acres of corn have been planted on sandy soils or muck ground that was dry enough to get on. Our commercial corn acreage is down so we are not in a rush with seed near $290 a unit. It was a cold rain this morning but 70 tomorrow then into mid 50s for highs for a week. I'm in no rush yet but the calendar will rule next week!

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If you'd like to be a part of the conversation, email cheri.zagurski@dtn.com and ask to join the email consulting group. We'd love to have you.

Cheri Zagurski can be reached at cheri.zagurski@dtn.com

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