MORE CORN PLANTED, BUT MISSOURI PACE STILL BEHIND NORMAL

Farmers finally got a break from the weather early last week and made some progress on getting their crops planted, but the pace is still well behind normal in Missouri.

By the end of last week more than 80 percent of the corn was in, marking what the Missouri Agricultural Statistics (AGS) Office said was one of the fastest weekly progress rates on record. After five weeks of unusually wet weather.

Illinois farmers are faring some better. Almost all of Illinois' weather-delayed corn crop has been planted, but plant height in even the most advanced fields is still well below the five-year average, agronomists reported this week.

Improved weather last week enabled Illinois farmers in many areas to complete almost all of their corn planting, according to the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service, which said 95 percent of the crop statewide was in.

"We probably fall in the 95 percent bracket in Cape Girardeau," County as area agronomist Gerald Bryan, of the Extension Service. "Most of the corn here has been planted."

Bryan said a few farmers who had land in the Diversion Channel are still waiting.

"They can still plan corn if they get it in the ground within a week," said Bryan. "After that some farmers will switch to milo or soybeans."

Late corn may produce lower yields.

"But, we've seen good yields in corn planted as late as June 12," said Byran. "We have planted corn June 12 in test areas, and had great yields."

Bryan added that many area farmers had already planted soybeans.

Statewide, corn-planting progress was still 19 days behind the same point last year, and 11 days behind the 87 percent average at this time of the year for the past five years.

Planting lagged in the east central district, 57 percent complete, and west central district, 61 percent complete. Nearly all the corn was in over a week ago in the southeast.

Twenty-eight percent of single-crop soybeans were planted, with progress about 16 days behind last year's rapid rate and 12 days behind the average of 52 percent.

The grain sorghum was 38 percent planted, nearly three weeks behind last year and 12 days behind the five-year average of 56 percent. Ninety-seven percent of the cotton was in the ground, slightly behind last year but ahead of average. The cotton crop was reported at 36 percent good, 46 percent fair and 18 percent poor.

The report said 80 percent of wheat was headed and 6 percent was turning color, with development running about eight days behind last year and 11 days behind average. The crop's condition was rated 31 percent good, 56 percent fair, 11 percent poor and 2 percent very poor.

Thirty-five percent of first-crop alfalfa had been cut, six days behind last year and the average, and 19 percent of other hay was cut, nearly the same as last year and the average.

By this time in Illinois last year, 100 percent of the corn crop was planted, said agricultural statistician Mike Ponder. The five-year average is 97 percent.

Ponder said Southern Illinois was still lagging behind the rest of the state in planting, with only 80 percent planted in southwestern Illinois and only 85 percent in southeastern Illinois.

Because of this year's late planting, corn plants were averaging only 4 inches in height, compared with 10 inches at this time last year and a five-year average of 12 inches for this date. The most advanced plants this year were only 9 inches high, Ponder said.

Soybean planting also was well behind the pace of last year. Ponder said 71 percent of the state's soybeans had been planted, compared with 93 percent at this time last year and a five-year average of 85 percent. Central Illinois led in soybean planting, with 91 percent of the crop in, while southwestern Illinois was the slowest, with only 30 percent planted.