Additional rainfall continues to delay planting

The wet fields not only in northern Illinois but across the state continue to remain the topic for farmers.  Despite this past weekend being dry and warm, the heavy rain from the previous week combined with the cooler than normal temperatures had many fields still too wet for farmers to get out an do some work.  However, there were some reports from our weather watchers that noted over this past weekend and earlier in the week that several farmers had been out in the fields.
Corn planted so far in the state of Illinois remains unchanged from the past two weeks; still at 1%.  This time last year nearly 76% of the corn crop had been planted.  The five year average for corn planting is 36% for this time.  Not only has it been down in the state of Illinois but also in the major corn producing states.  Only five percent of U.S. corn has been planted so far.

Additional rainfall from Thursday and today will only further delay farmers from getting into the fields; especially with another 1"-2" coming.  Once the rain is done it will likely be another week to week in a half before things dry out enough to begin working the fields.

One of our weather watchers, Dom Castaldo, sent me an interesting article regarding late planting and yield loss.  The article states that even though the calendar has switched over to May, there is still time to get into the fields and have a decent outcome in the fall.  Click here to read the full article.