Upper Midwest farmers have watched the snow melt in their fields. Now they're waiting, with as much patience they can muster, for fields to dry sufficiently for them to begin planting their 2018 crops.
Farmers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana overall made virtually no planting progress in the week ending April 22, according to the weekly planting progress report released April 23 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
But the past week, which in much of the region included sunny days with temperatures that soared into the 60s, could set the stage for rapid planting progress in early May, provided the weather cooperates.
According to the report:
• Virtually no corn or soybeans have been planted in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana so far this spring.
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• Only a small amount of spring wheat has been planted in the four states. South Dakota farmers - who had an average of 50 percent of their spring wheat planted by April 22 from 2013-2017 - have only 2 percent of spring wheat planted this year.
The lack of planted corn and soybean acres is no surprise. Most area farmers normally have very few, if any, fields planted to either crop by the end of April.
The paucity of planted wheat so far this spring is out of the ordinary, however. Seeding of wheat, a cool-season grass that fares best when planted early, normally begins in early to mid April. Widespread snow and cold temperatures in April 2018 kept that from occuring.
But this spring's slow planting, while far from ideal, isn't cause for alarm either - at least not yet. Early planting doesn't guarantee good yields, nor does planting later ensure poor yields.
What's more, late April to the middle of May traditionally is the "most active" planting period for spring wheat in the Upper Midwest, according to USDA statistics. While planting often begins in early to mid April, the next few weeks are normally when area farmers seed the bulk of their wheat acres.
And the 2013-2017 five-year planting pace averages - against which the 2018 numbers come up short - were skewed by unusually early planting starts during the five-year period.
