Half Of Missouri Corn Reaches Maturity

If the weather allows, corn harvest across Missouri should pick up in the next week now that just over half of the crop has reached maturity.  This week’s USDA Crop Progress report indicates that 51 percent of the state’s corn is mature, nine points ahead of last year and the normal pace.  However, six percent of the crop has still not reached the doughing stage; this time a year ago, we were still waiting for nine percent of corn to dent, with the five-year average at 11 percent.  Conditions rebounded from last week, with 35 percent rated good to excellent against 38 percent poor or very poor.  Soybeans are also proceeding toward harvest, with one-sixth of the crop dropping its leaves.  That’s 10 points ahead of normal and eight points better than last year.  97 percent of the crop has set their pods.  Conditions are slightly weaker with 44 percent good to excellent against 23 percent poor or very poor.  Winter wheat planting began this week with one percent of the next year’s crop in the ground.

Rice harvest in the Bootheel is now 14 percent complete, double the normal pace and 12 points ahead of last year.  97 percent of the crop has headed.  80 percent of the remaining crop is rated good to excellent, up five points from last week.  Cotton conditions are unchanged with two-thirds of the crop rated good to excellent versus just two percent poor.  34 percent of cotton bolls have opened, two points ahead of last year but three points behind normal.

Pasture conditions have hit a new bottom for the year with just 15 percent rated good to excellent, down eight points on the week.  47 percent of fields are rated poor or very poor.  90 percent of Missouri’s alfalfa has received its third cutting.  Just 23 percent of farmers are believed to have enough hay on hand, and 55 percent of farmers have adequate stock water supplies.  59 percent of topsoil and 61 percent of subsoil lack adequate moisture, compared to one percent of subsoil with a surplus.  Rainfall last week was again below-average, but just by a tenth of an inch at 0.57″.  Temperatures were just above normal, averaging 72.4°F.  6.5 days were suitable for fieldwork.