Dry Weather Helps Farmers Get Fieldwork Done Last Week

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024 -- 9:00 AM

(Blake Jackson, Wisconsin Ag Connection) Wisconsin farmers capitalized on favorable conditions to make significant progress in planting crops during the week ending April 28th, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

According to Blake Jackson with the Wisconsin Ag Connection, dry weather early in the week provided a crucial window for fieldwork before rain arrived later. Activities focused on tillage, planting, and fertilizer application.

Soil moisture conditions remained favorable, with topsoil rated 1% very short, 14% short, 69% adequate, and 16% surplus. Subsoil moisture followed a similar trend, with only 1% reported as very short. A key takeaway is the head start on planting compared to previous years and averages.

Corn planting reached 10% completion, well ahead of both last year (by 6 days) and the historical five-year average (by 2 days). Similarly, soybean planting progressed to 11%, exceeding last year by 9 days and the five-year average by 6 days.

Oat planting followed a similar trend, with 39% of the crop planted, surpassing last year by 9 days and the average by 4 days. Emergence for oats reached 11%. Planting wasn't limited to grains.

An impressive 75% of potato acreage has already been planted, exceeding both last year and the average by over two weeks. Spring tillage activity is also well underway, with 47% completed, exceeding last year by 12 days and the average by 7 days.

Despite the early planting push, winter wheat continues to show positive signs with 82% of the crop rated good to excellent across the state. Pasture and range conditions are also encouraging, with a significant improvement from last week.

Nearly half (46%) of pastures and ranges are rated good to excellent, reflecting a 9 percentage point increase. Wisconsin farmers have taken advantage of a favorable start to the planting season.

Early progress on corn, soybeans, oats, and potatoes bodes well for the upcoming growing season. Continued monitoring of soil moisture will be important as the season progresses.

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