PLANTING NEARLY ON SCHEDULE

Despite an early planting season plagued with wet fields where too much rain mired farm work during April and much of May, corn and soybean planting is not too far off schedule in the Cape Girardeau County area.

"Above-normal temperatures and a brief dry spell during the past week have helped farmers get a lot of seed in the ground," said Gerald Bryan, Cape Girardeau County Extension agronomist.

"About 90 percent of the expected 1991 corn acreage has been planted in Cape County and farmers are busy this week getting in the final late plantings," added Bryan. "We have about a week to get the late corn in."

Most farmers in the area like to have corn planted by mid-to-late April, but by April 15 this year only 5 percent of the crop was planted in Cape County.

Planting was further delayed in early May as rains continued to fall in the area. In some fields, crops had to be replanted.

This marks the second year for late corn, but 1990 turned out to be a surprising one for farmers.

"We had some good weather following planting," said Bryan. "And, yields were much better than expected."

However, Bryan pointed out that the later you plant, the less yield you'll usually have.

Nationally, corn planting continues in all the 17 major corn states, reaching more than 90 percent completion.

"This compares favorably with last year's planting nationally," said Bryan.

Figures released Wednesday by the Agriculture Department's Agricultural Statistics Board indicate that the 1991 corn harvest will be larger than last year's crop of 7.93 billion bushels, with a forecast of 8.28 billion bushels this year.

Meanwhile, soybean planting in Cape County is not at the critical stage yet.

"Soybeans are about 70 to 75 percent planted," said Bryan. "And, some of the double-crop soybeans are already in the ground."

The local totals are well ahead of the national figures for soybeans. An estimated 45 percent of the soybean acreage has been planted nationally.

"That's well above the total of a year ago," said Bryan. Nationally, only 26 percent of the soybean acreage had been planted at this time last year.

Based on the latest projections by the Agriculture Department, soybean production for this year is estimated at 1.87 billion bushels, or slightly less than the 1990 harvest of 1.9 billion bushels.

Farmers in Cape County are not talking about the wheat crop.

"That has been a disaster," said Bryan. "Wheat yields are ranging from zero to 30 bushels an acre, with the general range between 10 and 15."

The normal average for this area is about 40 to 50 bushels an acre.

"Some folks are not even harvesting their wheat," said Bryan. "They're planting their double-crop, no-till soybeans in with the wheat."

Winter wheat was reported "mostly poor" throughout Missouri and Arkansas.

"Disease problems associated with excessive rains were responsible for deteriorating conditions in several areas," said Bryan.

The story is not as bad nationally, but farmers are still having a reduced winter wheat crop.

Overall nationally, the winter wheat output was estimated at 1.45 billion bushels, 29 percent below last year's harvest of 2.03 billion bushels.

Wet conditions resulted in sharp declines in Illinois, Kentucky and most of the Mississippi Delta areas.