Editors' Notebook

OMAHA (DTN) -- As usual in agriculture, how you answer the questions "How is planting coming along?" or "Are your crops looking good?" depends upon your address.

The garden spot -- at least for now -- as reported by our Crops/Technology Editor Pam Smith, may just be the middle of Illinois, where corn was planted in a timely fashion, rains have been not too heavy, not too light and growing degree days can be termed just right. Even soybean planting is ahead of average there.

Northern Illinois is a little bit different story, reports Keith Landis of Sterling. "Most corn in the area is planted with some to do yet. Some corn is up but looks poor in color. One farmer called it neon green. ... Guys are ready to start the beans weather permitting."

In Manhattan in northeast Illinois, John Moore said the weather forecast finally sounds promising and he was expecting it to only be a day or two before planters were rolling again.

However, Ripley County in southeast Indiana apparently also benefited from just right/just in time weather conditions. Gerald Gauck reported, "Corn is about 3 inches tall and looking good. Hope to finish planting soybeans in a couple of days. We were lucky we had just enough rain to make things work."

Across the state in southwest Indiana, "it is starting to dry up," reported Scott Wallis. "Sprayers out this morning; hoping we can plant beans in a couple of days; corn needs some heat."

It is going to get dry again in southern Illinois, reported Kenton Thomas of Alexander County. "It is about to get dry again after a week of rain here in southern Illinois. Most all the corn is planted but very few beans yet. Wheat is headed; been spraying it the last couple days. Will start back on beans soon."

THE BAD, THE SO-SO

On the other hand, we have areas in the Southern Plains -- Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas -- where wheat is withering and corn and soybeans aren't necessarily faring well, either.

"Planting soybeans, three quarters done, very dry," wrote Stephen Tuttle of Basehor in northeast Kansas. "May 16 2014. 31 degrees for three-plus hours. Corn 5 inches tall frosted in places, even some soybeans nipped. My main concern is wheat that was flowering. Will know more later. What a strange year! One side note, our brome hay yields this year will probably be less than normal, because of cold, frost, or drought, we don't know."

Dana Pieper of Palco, Kan., agrees with the very dry assessment. "We need rain BADLY in northwest/north-central Kansas, as does many other parts of the country," Pieper wrote. "I am praying that this week/weekend will provide us with some much-needed relief! If we don't get some rain, we will have to cut our cow herd because the pastures look like it's winter still. Our crop specialist has advised us not to plant milo unless it rains as well. We need to grow some feed this year since we are still feeding our cows and it's the middle to end of May and we have run short of feed the last two years."

In Logan in north-central Kansas, Doug Zillinger reported, "Corn planting: Some are finally rolling even though we have had no rain. Most are talking half the acres and half the normal population. Ground temp was running in the mid-40s last week so it really is a little cool yet to be planting. They are rolling, as May 15 is considered the time to have corn in the ground around here. Beans, sorghum, etc. are on hold until warmer soil temps. The oats planted earlier are not getting real tall and have large spots in the fields that did not emerge due to moisture constrains, etc. Some wheat is now being fenced to graze out and some have moved from the first to the second field with their cows. Going to be in the mid to upper 80s this week. With no rain, This could be the turn in the crop situation. I saw a spot going from green to brown on the side hill in the pasture this morning. Hasn't been there before."

MEANWHILE, IN IOWA AND PLACES SOUTH

Pete Bardole, Jefferson, Iowa, wrote: "We finished soybeans Saturday and area farmers are dodging rain showers trying to get finished. There was some frost last week but it didn't seem to do any more than turn some corn leaves brown; otherwise both corn and beans are looking good."

Karen Johnson of Avoca, Iowa: "We have our corn and beans planted here in west-central Iowa. However last Friday we had severe frost damage on river bottom acres of corn; leaves are either blackish and curled, or brown. Today (Monday) it did look like new green may be showing on the very top of the tiny plants. It's still a few days too soon to tell if all will recover. Our soybeans could use some nice moisture to help them come up. We're dry here yet. Some farmers are still planting beans in our area.

"We trucked out loads of corn this past week. After checking a big 36' bin, Bill decided it looked like it needed to be moved. Farmers, do check your grain bins so corn doesn't go out of condition.

"Next major task coming up in a week or so will be making alfalfa hay into big round bales."

Sometimes whatever is going wrong doesn't really have to do with the immediate weather. Bob Birdsell of Stanberry, Mo., sent us a note about a rumored issue in his area.

"Finally finished planting corn Saturday. I am hearing rumors of guys losing fields of corn due to chemical carryover from beans due to lack of rain last summer. We will start planting beans this week. Everyone have a safe week!"

Jason Watt, in western Kentucky, reports growers are putting in long days. "We are about to finish all the hill corn. They will get in the bottoms planted in the next two weeks hopefully. Just started up hard on planting beans in the hills and we're finishing up on spraying wheat for head scab. Tobacco setting underway, lot of plants are going in, looks like a great week to seat it we've had a cool front come through the last five days and about 2 inches rainfall last week shot it all down till today so where all working daylight till dark."

Bud Tate of Greenwood, Miss., is starting to be slightly optimistic. "We have had 1" of rain in the past 10 days; some had 5" in the South Delta; but the crops are starting to look like we might pull this off. The corn is about 2 feet shorter than we normally have at the end of May, but we made the best crop ever, last year, with a poor looking start. The soybeans are growing, the corn is greening up, and the wheat is starting to turn. The wheat is a week or so late, probably be cutting about the second week of June."

AND OUR FRIEND TO THE NORTH

"(We) haven't hardly started here in southern Ontario," wrote Kevin Ross. "Only have 75 acres of corn in and zero beans. It's wet! But the long-range forecast looks good, hope to be rolling soon. "

Keep the good thought, guys! If anybody would like to join our email comment group, send me a note at cheri.zagurski@dtn.com

(SK)

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