Regional Crop Update 4/15
Apr 15, 2024
4/15/2024
Cedar/Scott County, Iowa
Temperatures have come back to the mean after March, which was ahead of schedule. We haven't had a day in April that has been more than 10⁰F above normal. We have received some much-needed moisture in the last couple of weeks. Soil temperatures have growers thinking about planting, but not many wheels have turned so far. The forecast for moisture this week will most likely keep growers out of the field and hoping for better days ahead. This spring's weather has been very conducive for fertilizer and NH3 applications, which has helped growers and retailers be as prepared as possible heading into planting season.
Jackson/Clinton County, Iowa
It was another week of not being able to get much spraying done due to the wet weather, but temps were thankfully on the rise. In the latter part of the week, we got a little cover crop and hay burndown applied before the rain late Thursday. The weekend finally brought weather conducive to a little pre-emerge chemical, liquid nitrogen, and maybe even anhydrous applications in some areas. With chances of rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Friday, I don't expect this week to be a big one regarding getting acres applied. However, it will allow more moisture to enter the soil profile and farmers more time to wrap up the final touches on their spring planning before the first big push.
Ryan, Iowa
Some nice spring weather has allowed for some good progress this past week. Spring dry fertilizer is just about completed, and cover crop termination has started. There have also been a handful of farmers who have begun scratching around a bit with their planters over the last couple of days.
Sperry, Iowa
Soil temperatures are rising, and planters are busy in SE Iowa. This last week has been warm and dry, leading to a flurry of activity. The rain and cool weather at the beginning of next week will put everyone out for a few days, but the end of next week will be all hands on deck. The only genuine concern is that soil temperature could dip into the 40s next week with the cool nights, which could lead to some slow emergence of early planted corn. The forecast looks promising for a lot of seed to be in the ground by the end of the month, leading to an average spring. The following two weeks will be a big part of the 2024 crop success for SE Iowa.
Kasbeer & Annawan, Illinois
Most of the area is working on drying out now after experiencing around three to four inches of rainfall over the course of six days ending in the first week of April. However, precipitation amounts varied across our geography, translating to some fields and areas drying out quicker than others. Any dry stretch of weather now and into the foreseeable future appears to be filled with fieldwork as we move into the middle of April. After a cool start to the month, we accumulated 73 GDUs in April and a total of 244 for 2024.
Galva/Camp Grove, Illinois
While planters aren't quite rolling as I write this, our locations are beginning to apply liquid fertilizer and burndown herbicide. The warm weather in early spring that allowed ammonia and dry fertilizer applications has created an excellent opportunity for sprayers to accomplish timely herbicide applications. This is critical for long-season success as most cover crops and winter annual weeds are also taking advantage of the warm weather and are growing quite quickly. Northern Illinois has received adequate rainfall in the last two weeks, as much as 3.5" in some areas. Soil and weather conditions appear favorable for the foreseeable future for those growers who wish to start planting.
Cedar/Scott County, Iowa
Temperatures have come back to the mean after March, which was ahead of schedule. We haven't had a day in April that has been more than 10⁰F above normal. We have received some much-needed moisture in the last couple of weeks. Soil temperatures have growers thinking about planting, but not many wheels have turned so far. The forecast for moisture this week will most likely keep growers out of the field and hoping for better days ahead. This spring's weather has been very conducive for fertilizer and NH3 applications, which has helped growers and retailers be as prepared as possible heading into planting season.
Jackson/Clinton County, Iowa
It was another week of not being able to get much spraying done due to the wet weather, but temps were thankfully on the rise. In the latter part of the week, we got a little cover crop and hay burndown applied before the rain late Thursday. The weekend finally brought weather conducive to a little pre-emerge chemical, liquid nitrogen, and maybe even anhydrous applications in some areas. With chances of rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Friday, I don't expect this week to be a big one regarding getting acres applied. However, it will allow more moisture to enter the soil profile and farmers more time to wrap up the final touches on their spring planning before the first big push.
Ryan, Iowa
Some nice spring weather has allowed for some good progress this past week. Spring dry fertilizer is just about completed, and cover crop termination has started. There have also been a handful of farmers who have begun scratching around a bit with their planters over the last couple of days.
Sperry, Iowa
Soil temperatures are rising, and planters are busy in SE Iowa. This last week has been warm and dry, leading to a flurry of activity. The rain and cool weather at the beginning of next week will put everyone out for a few days, but the end of next week will be all hands on deck. The only genuine concern is that soil temperature could dip into the 40s next week with the cool nights, which could lead to some slow emergence of early planted corn. The forecast looks promising for a lot of seed to be in the ground by the end of the month, leading to an average spring. The following two weeks will be a big part of the 2024 crop success for SE Iowa.
Kasbeer & Annawan, Illinois
Most of the area is working on drying out now after experiencing around three to four inches of rainfall over the course of six days ending in the first week of April. However, precipitation amounts varied across our geography, translating to some fields and areas drying out quicker than others. Any dry stretch of weather now and into the foreseeable future appears to be filled with fieldwork as we move into the middle of April. After a cool start to the month, we accumulated 73 GDUs in April and a total of 244 for 2024.
Galva/Camp Grove, Illinois
While planters aren't quite rolling as I write this, our locations are beginning to apply liquid fertilizer and burndown herbicide. The warm weather in early spring that allowed ammonia and dry fertilizer applications has created an excellent opportunity for sprayers to accomplish timely herbicide applications. This is critical for long-season success as most cover crops and winter annual weeds are also taking advantage of the warm weather and are growing quite quickly. Northern Illinois has received adequate rainfall in the last two weeks, as much as 3.5" in some areas. Soil and weather conditions appear favorable for the foreseeable future for those growers who wish to start planting.