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Illinois and Indiana farms playing planting catch-up
 
By STEVE BINDER
Illinois Correspondent
 
CHESTER, Ill. — What began as an excellent start for most growers in the Midwest quickly turned into a sloppy mess for Illinois and Indiana farmers, as significant amounts of rain in late April and early May put some crops already in the ground at risk of disease.
 
For many growers facing the prospect of replanting corn, in most cases Mother Nature seemed a bit more cooperative in recent days with a nice, seven-day dry spell and warmer temperatures through May 12.
 
 A swath that started in the western Plains with snow and hail in late April ended up blitzing Missouri, southern Illinois and central Indiana with more than 7 inches of rain. Coupled with a second storm system five days later, some localized areas were hit with more than 15 inches of precipitation, especially in the Mississippi River bottoms area in southern Illinois.
 
Growers throughout the Midwest got a great start on corn planting, with Illinois farmers putting in nearly half the crop in early and mid-April. But the storm systems that rolled through later put the brakes on further fieldwork.
 
Through May 11, COUNTRY Financial crop claims Manager Brad Clow said the company already had received more than 1,250 replanting claims spread throughout the state, but with most coming in southern Illinois. Through the same time period last year, just 150 replanting claims were made.
 
“It is everything we thought it would be, given the amount of rainfall we had and given the time of the season. This year, the rains just came at the wrong time,” he said. “More than half the claims were south of Effingham. The good news is the forecast predicts warmer, sunnier days ahead. There’s still plenty of time to get a crop in.”
 
Final planting dates could come into play for some corn growers, with the 
USDA pegging June 5 as the date for growers in most of Illinois, June 10 for Indiana, May 26 for Iowa, May 30 for Ohio, June 6 for Michigan, May 25 for Tennessee and June 8 for Kentucky.
 
Final planting dates for soybeans, according to the USDA, are June 24 for  Illinois, June 25 for Indiana, June 18 for Iowa, June 10 for Ohio, June 18 for Michigan, July 5 for Tennessee and July 10 for Kentucky. The big storm system at the end of April put a serious dent in expected yields for winter wheat, especially in Kansas. Southern Illinois, where the bulk of wheat growers planted about 450,000 acres, may have escaped significant damage because they raced to apply fungicide before the bad weather hit.
 
The USDA now projects at least half of the wheat crop in Kansas could be lost, if not more. For Illinois and Indiana growers, the quality of the crop dropped because of the weather.
 
Based on the most recent USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service progress reports through May 8, Illinois wheat rated poor or very poor more than doubled during the prior week, from 6 to 13 percent. Prior to the storms, 74 percent of the crop was rated as good or excellent; afterward, just 60 percent was rated such.
 
Indiana wheat is faring better, with just 5 percent rated as poor or very poor and 67 percent rated as good or excellent. Michigan wheat came in at 12 percent poor or very poor, while 63 percent was rated as good or excellent. Corn growers are having a slower time this year getting the crop into the ground, save for those in Ohio. Buckeye farmers had 46 percent of their crop planted, compared to last year’s mark of 30 percent and the fiveyear average of 36 percent.
 
The other six states in Farm World’s coverage area are behind last year’s marks. The percentages for each in planted corn, as of May 8, were 65 percent for Illinois (five-year average is 63 percent); 51 percent for Indiana (43 percent); 52 percent for Iowa (55 percent); 50 percent for Kentucky (59 percent); 10 percent for Michigan (27 percent); and 77 percent for Tennessee (78 percent).
 
Soybean progress, albeit early, is progressing at a slightly better pace. Planted beans compared to the states’ five-year averages were: 14 percent for Illinois (16 percent); 19 percent for Indiana (17 percent); 9 percent for Iowa (14 percent); 10 percent for Kentucky (12 percent); 1 percent for Michigan (11 percent); and 8 percent for Tennessee (14 percent). 
5/17/2017