Despite Favorable Conditions Last Week, Storms to Delay Corn Planting in Key Areas of Minnesota & Wisconsin
Rain across parts of the Midwest could affect corn planting this week
According to a recent AgWeb article, storms passing through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin this week could further delay corn planting in these areas.
Agriculture.com yesterday reported that widespread rain will continue throughout the central Corn Belt states through Wednesday. “Generally, there's a 70% chance that as much as 3 inches of rain could fall around the Midwest over the next five days,” states Monday's Ag QUICKsheet from Commodity Weather Group (CWG). “The northern Plains will likely see up to 2.5 inches of rain in that same time period.”
While 71% of the nation's corn crop has been planted, Joe Lauer, agronomist with the University of Wisconsin, claims the state of Wisconsin trails the U.S. average to-date at 43%. “If planting isn’t done until June 1, we have lost 30% of the yield,” he says. However, Jeff Coulter, agronomist with the University of Minnesota, claims cornfields already planted should not be harmed by the wet weather—it’s the corn acres that have not yet been planted that could be affected by the “severe downpours.”
As the week stretches on, farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin may have to adjust their corn planting schedules depending on the weather forecast. As of today, considerable rain is expected to fall over the Midwest for the duration of the week.