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Arkansas Crops: 2% rice and 3% corn harvested

An Arkansas farmer says recent rains have helped his crops.

Derek Haigwood tells Brownfield the rice crop looks above average.  “We did have an issue with it being so dry earlier in the year that we didn’t get a lot of residual control on our weeds,” he says. “So the rice will be good, but there’s a little more weeds. It’s kind of widespread across this area that I’m in right now.”

He says they’re getting ready to drain rice fields to start the dry-down process and it should be ready to harvest in about 2 weeks.  Across the state, rice harvest is 2% complete with 22% mature and 91% headed.  69% of the crop is rated good to excellent. 

Haigwood says he soybeans are above average this year and that’s largely due to planting early. “They’ve already podded out and we’ve got some that are touching in the pods,” he says. “They’re done. We won’t water them anymore and I’m looking forward to the soybean harvest. I think it’s going to be a great year.”

Statewide soybeans are rated 65% good to excellent with 91% setting pods, 19% coloring, and 4% dropping leaves.  Corn is rated 69% good to excellent with 83% in dent, 47% mature, and 3% harvested.  Cotton is rated 75% good to excellent with 93% setting bolls and 6% opening. 

Haigwood says once harvest starts for him – it won’t stop, weather and equipment permitting.  “I’m hoping the 10th of September to cut some soybeans,” he says. “The 1st of September, some corn, and the last week of August hopefully we’ll get in the rice a little bit, sample it.  When you have a spring like this where you just slam everything in all at once, it makes for a struggle logistically in in your harvest.”

Peanuts are rated 79% good to excellent. Pastures are rated 54% good to excellent.  The second cutting of hay is 79% complete. 

Topsoil moisture is 66% adequate to surplus and 59% of subsoil moisture is adequate to surplus.