Illinois Crop Planting Production Continues to Be Dampened by Wet Spring
Crop planting production in Illinois continues to trail historic averages due to results of wet spring
After historic drought conditions stretched across most of the Midwest last summer, affecting crop production, a very wet 2013 spring has hampered crop planting in Illinois, according to an article from the Rockford Register Star.
The latest USDA Crop Progress Report shows 89% of Illinois’ corn has been planted (compared to 100% at this time last year), and just 40% of the soybean crop has been planted, trailing far behind the 92% that had been in the ground at this time last year. Larry Anderson, president of the Boone County Farm Bureau, who farms corn, soybeans and wheat on 1,500 acres in Boone and Winnebago counties, says in the Register Star article, “Corn in general is behind because of the late start with all the rain. It’s been hard to get out in the fields because every time it dries out another storm rolls in, but I don’t ever want to say I want it to quit raining.”
In fact, a recent Illinois State Weather Survey indicates April was the fourth wettest on record, with 6.90 inches of rain, well above the long-term average of 3.77 inches for the month. To put this into perspective, April’s rainfall total is greater than combined statewide rainfall totals for Illinois in May, June, and July of 2012, which only saw 5.78 inches of rain during those three months.
Rainfall across Illinois has slowed crop planting production, as April was one of the wettest months on record. Farmers are still trying to catch up to historic averages after a delayed start to 2013 planting as a result of the rains.