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A dry start to the growing season

A farmer in southeast South Dakota says conditions are dry as the growing season begins.

“It’s going to take consistent and timely rains to have a bountiful crop.”

Kevin Deinert says his farm in Davison County is missing rain other counties in the state have been getting the last few weeks, but despite a lack of meaningful rain the corn is advancing well.

“Corn is already a foot tall in some spots and if you have some of the earlier planted April corn, it’s pretty well filling the rows. Corn is looking really nice.”

He says the early planted soybeans are growing leaves and the later planted soybeans could use some rain. Deinert says there has been some rain on Monday…

“Some storms are rolling through and we’re hoping for rain without any of the white stuff that could come with it.”

Deinert says he’ll be watching for any hail damage.

USDA says corn and soybean conditions are steady or have improved slightly in the previous week. South Dakota’s corn conditions are rated 64 percent good to excellent and the soybeans are rated 62 percent good to excellent.