Fields are 95% Planted — Happiness Reigns
Good Timing on Spring Rains
Trent Brandenburg is happy to have 95% of his corn and soybean acreage planted. He’s is taking a day or two off right now as recent and predicted rains will make that remaining 5% too wet to plant for a few days. Trent sees good germination in his planted acres; “of course the ones we just planted two days ago are not up yet.” “This year is starting off good,” Trent summarized.
Most rains for the past month have been spaced well enough to help germination of seeds just planted, but not so often or so heavy to cause serious delays in fieldwork. The USDA’s latest planting estimates for Illinois this week are: Corn planted reached 54 percent, compared to the 5-year average of 49 percent. Soybeans planted reached 41 percent, compared to the 5-year average of 14 percent. For Trent to be 95% planted at the end of April is a great start for the new season.
More from The Field Report
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest
Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]
In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest
The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties. Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn [...]
Summertime Mowing And Spraying
Trent Brandenburg has been busy mowing his lawn and his roadsides due to the sunshine and frequent rains making his grass grow as well as his corn and soybeans. He has been hiring aerial spraying of fungicides to suppress disease [...]