Weather - General
The nation’s corn crop is currently 11% planted, sitting 2 points ahead of the five-year average. Although many Illinois farmers are waiting to plant because of wet conditions, much of the latest national crop progress comes from Illinois and Indiana.
Tim Webster and Steve Crothers share their cropping plans, telling Ken Ferrie they hope to bounce back this season from record low rainfall and extreme heat in 2025.
Reaching levels rarely seen since 2013, historic dryness grips the eastern Corn Belt, the Southeast and into the western Plains. With 68% of winter wheat in drought, producers face potential abandonment.
A fast-developing El Niño could bring much-needed rain to the Plains, but timing and coverage remain uncertain. Brian Bledsoe explains what a strong event could mean for drought relief.
In Texas, for example, more than half of the winter wheat is rated poor to very poor. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the state recently endured its fourth-driest stretch from September to February in the last 131 years.
Ken Ferrie offers practical steps to salvage your yield potential if you’ve been affected by heavy rains and seed quality issues.
Agronomist Eric Beckett shares strategies for managing tillage, product applications and budgets despite what’s shaping up to be a dry and potentially windy spring.
As planting dates shift earlier, the nutrient is delivering significant yield responses and surprising protection against sudden death syndrome.
There are at least two solid reasons for using an N “stabilizer” in your fields this spring, as well as one scenario when it doesn’t make financial sense.
Weather is unpredictable, but a solid plan ensures you’re prepared for whatever the planting season brings.