Despite Dry Week, Crops Continue To Trail Average Pace

While several parts of Missouri picked up less than a quarter-inch of rain last week, crop progress remained behind year-ago and average paces. USDA’s Crop Progress report indicates that almost 80 percent of the state’s corn crop is silking, down nine points from a year ago and 10 points off the five-year average. 37 percent of the crop has entered the doughing stage, roughly in line with the average and last year’s pace. Conditions edged higher, with two-thirds of the crop in good or excellent condition versus eight percent poor. 52 percent of soybeans have bloomed, nine points behind last year and five behind the normal rate. Nearly a fifth of beans have set pods, also behind recent trends. 61 percent of the crop is good to excellent, up five points from last week, while nine percent is rated poor or very poor.

Over half of the Bootheel’s cotton has set bolls, 32 points ahead of last year’s pace and 14 points better than average. Rice continues to head at a fast pace, with 40 percent headed compared to 17 percent a year ago and the five-year average of 27 percent. Conditions for both are the same as a week ago, with 67 percent of cotton and 69 percent of rice in good to excellent condition.

Pastures soaked up the sun, with 75 percent in good to excellent condition, up two points from last week. Just three percent of fields are rated poor. 84 percent of alfalfa has received its second cutting, and the first four percent has received its third cutting. However, at this point last year nearly a third of alfalfa had received its third cutting. 90 percent of other hay has been cut. Seven percent of Missouri farmers are believed to have a shortage of hay supply, compared to five percent with a surplus. Three percent lack adequate stock water, compared to six percent with a surplus. Soils are continuing to dry out, as Missouri averaged less than a tenth of an inch of rain last week. A tenth of topsoil and five percent of subsoil lack adequate moisture, compared to six percent of each with a surplus. An average of six days were suitable for fieldwork.