Weather helped Nebraska farmers play catch up on the planting season

News

Weather helped Nebraska farmers play catch up on the planting season

The USDA says warm and dry conditions helped Nebraska farmers pick up the planting pace last week.

Andy Jobman of Gothenburg says he finished over the weekend. “First planted corn is up. Last planted corn is just starting to emerge. Anybody that planted soybeans first, those beans are up and running and looking great.”  

The latest crop progress and condition report says 85 percent of the corn crop has been planted, 9 percent behind last year with 48 percent emerged.

Nearly three-quarters of soybeans are in with 27 percent emerged.

Jobman tells Brownfield rain events have helped improve drought conditions. “Even after the 3 to 4 inches we had in early May, you can tell things are starting to dry out already. Pastures have greened up and have some good growth on the grass, but they’re going to continue to need some more timely rains to kind of keep us from slipping back into that extreme drought we were in earlier.”

Pasture and range conditions are rated 27 percent good-to-excellent.  Top soil moisture is rated 57 percent adequate-to-surplus and subsoil moister is 41 percent adequate-to-surplus.

Winter wheat condition is rated 31 percent good-to-excellent.

Almost a quarter of sorghum has been planted and 9 percent of oats are in.

.