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Corn and rice planting gets started in MO

Corn and rice planting is underway in Missouri.

In the first weekly crop progress report of the season, USDA says six percent of the corn is planted in Missouri, in-line with last year’s pace and three points ahead of the previous week. Rice planting is just getting started in Missouri at two percent complete, behind last year.

A central Missouri farmer says soil temperatures need to warm up before he plants. Nathan Alpers tells Brownfield he’ll likely start with soybeans.

“It will probably be later in the week, Thursday at the earliest. We’ve had about two inches of rain and we’re fairly wet, which is a good thing. We weren’t none too wet as spring began,” he says. “I don’t like to plant when it’s cool and wet, but I would plant when it’s cool and dry on a warming trend.”

Alpers says the cold, wet weather is holding back growth in pasture and hay ground, but “My grandpa always told me not to look for any good grass until April 15 or later. Most years, that’s right and this year it will be right, because it’s slow going.”

USDA also says two percent of Missouri’s winter wheat is headed with conditions rated 64 percent good to excellent.