Growers may be prevented by bad weather from planting 1.1 million acres of their intended record 84.6 million acres of soybeans, says economist John Newton of U-Illinois. Writing at farmdoc daily, Newton bases his estimate on crop data from 1996-2014. While corn planting is nearly complete, 21 million acres of soybeans were yet to be planted as of a week ago. Newton says planting patterns in recent years suggest that 1.1 million acres will go unplanted, compared to the average 759,000 acres.
“Current expectations are for above average prevented plantings in soybeans due to the ongoing persistence of wet weather and the magnitude of acres unplanted,” says Newton. Soybean yields do not fall as quickly as corn yields when fields are planted later than the optimal time. “Thus it is likely that farmers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa will close the gap on planting progress.” Planting is far behind normal in Kansas and Missouri, where heavy rains have disrupted field work. The USDA will update its estimate of soybean planting this afternoon in the weekly Crop Progress report.