Current planting progress released from the USDA National Ag Statistics tells the current story across the corn belt. Nationally, corn planting stands at 5%, mostly outside the main corn growing areas.  The I-states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana) all only have a few percent planted per state. Average nationally planted by this point is over the last five years is 31%.

Cold conditions are slowing the planting progress limiting the ability of the soil to warm because of overall cool temperatures.  Continue reading →

By Dennis Todey, State Climatologist, South Dakota… The answer to this question is largely a matter of location. For much of the eastern Corn Belt late season precipitation in the fall of 2012 reduced the impact of drought issues. Continuation of precipitation throughout the winter and into early spring has eliminated drought status on the US Drought Monitor and is creating wet conditions in locations along with flooding in some locations. In the central Corn Belt, the additional precipitation in the winter and early spring has reduced drought levels to slightly dry or moderate drought conditions. Western and northern parts of the Corn Belt still have large areas of D2-D4 drought conditions because of Continue reading →