Wet weather is holding corn and soybean planting far behind usual rates for the first week in May, the USDA said Monday. Economist Scott Irwin of the University of Illinois said on social media that half of the corn crop must be planted in the next two weeks to avoid the large yield losses that accompany later-than-optimal seeding.
In its weekly Crop Progress report, the USDA said 23 percent of corn and 6 percent of soybeans have been sown. The average for this time of year is 46 percent of corn and 14 percent of soybeans. The top corn state, Iowa, planted 15 percent of its corn crop last week but at 36 percent complete, it is 15 points behind average. In Illinois, the leading soybean state, 3 percent of the crop has been planted, compared to the five-year average of 16 percent.