Missouri Starts August With Over Half Its Corn Doughing

Corn tasseling in a field in Lafayette County, Mo. (Photo by Kyle Hill, Alpha Ag Network)

Over half of Missouri corn has reached the doughing stage, providing a glimmer of hope that this year’s crop might cross the finish line in a timely fashion. USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report indicates that 54 percent of corn is doughing, two points ahead of last year but two points off the average. Most other indicators remain behind, as 89 percent of corn is tasseling, compared to 94 percent a year ago and the five-year average of 95 percent. 64 percent of corn is rated good to excellent, down two points from last week, and eight percent is still in poor or very poor shape. Close to two-thirds of the soybean crop is blooming, down six points from last year and three off the average. 31 percent have set pods, five points behind a year ago and also three off the five-year average. Crop conditions also slid two points, with 59 percent rated good to excellent versus eight percent poor or very poor.

Nearly three-fourths of cotton in the Bootheel have set bolls, 25 points ahead of average and demonstrably ahead of last year’s mark of 27 percent. However, conditions tumbled from a week ago, with just 48 percent considered good, compared to nine percent poor. Rice heading is 47 percent complete, two points behind normal but 14 points ahead of a year ago. Conditions also slid in the past week, with two-thirds of the crop rated good to excellent while just two percent is listed as poor.

Above-average rainfall averaging 0.88″ slowed hay cutting again. 11 percent of alfalfa still needs cut a second time, along with seven percent of other hay. This time a year ago, all non-alfalfa hay was considered cut. Just one-sixth of alfalfa has received a third cutting. Seventy percent of pastures are in good to excellent condition, down five points from last week, while four percent are considered poor. Nine percent of Missouri farmers are believed to lack adequate hay supply, compared to three percent with a surplus. Two percent lack adequate stock water, compared to seven percent with a surplus. 11 percent of topsoil and six percent of subsoil lack adequate moisture, compared to four percent of topsoil and five percent of subsoil with a surplus. An average of 6.2 days were suitable for fieldwork, with average temperatures 2.5 degrees above normal at 79.4°F.