The following are reports from my team of Technical Team Agronomists in the north and east. In much of my region, conditions are significantly better than they were last year at this time, but there are areas that are behind average. We have plots going in at a fairly good pace and we are thankful for those that take the time to plant them. Thanks to my team for putting these updates together, hopefully you find them interesting.

Northeast Iowa – Dave Hoy

Estimate that corn is about 60% planted and soybeans about 30% planted. Most fields are in very good condition. Adequate soil moisture except for a few areas of north central Iowa where it is slightly dry. There have been a few customers call for hybrid recommendations on newly rented ground due to late land changes. Advantage Acre® VR has worked very well. Plots have been going in steady but have lost a few due to speed of planting progress and the lack of daylight.

Wisconsin – Alan Bass

Planting is going well. The southern part of the state is probably 60% done with corn and 30% done with soybeans. The northern part just got started. Some areas are planning to start May 1. We definitely have more soybeans planted before corn this year! Conditions were very dry across most of the state with the exception of the northeast where snow hampered the efforts a few weeks ago. Plots are about 50% complete, with a few more corn plots in than soybeans. I have talked to large and small growers that are completely done and some that have not even thought of going yet. So far, we are about a month ahead of last year in most of the state. Winter kill in alfalfa is relatively high this year especially old stands. Most guys were short of feed last year, so they took a late cutting and is slow to regrow this spring.

Michigan – Justin Schneider

Planting conditions were good for two to three days, so many growers were able to plant. We may be 10% planted on corn. We’re beginning to catch Black Cutworm moths in traps. Rain has moved in and most areas received between ¾ to two inches, bringing planting to a halt. Overall, planting conditions have been ideal and soil temperatures are just now hitting the 50-degree mark.

Northern Indiana – Phil Brunner

In northwest Indiana, a lot of progress has been made in the last 2 weeks for both corn and soybeans, but it is spotty. The central area is about 25% corn and 20% beans. The Northwest area has done very little because it has been wet. Overall, conditions were excellent for planting. In northeast Indiana not much has been done except maybe a little field work. The southern half of the state is looking good, planting progress in some areasis nearly 75% planted for both corn and soybeans. Overall, most are in the 30% range for both corn and beans. The entire Northern area has received rain the last couple days so everything has stopped.

Northern Ohio – Corey Prosser

It appears that northern Ohio is behind the rest of the country. Temperatures are below average for April causing soil temps to stay low. There have been several overcast days and it seems to rain every few days. Some areas have missed rains and have been able to get some corn and soybeans planted while other areas, mainly north central to east, very little planted as of now. Quite a lot of field work has been done and most are ready to go once the weather breaks, which looks like the upcoming week. Overall if we were 5% planted on either crop, I would be surprised. What has been planted has been into better conditions than almost everything that was planted last year. On the bright side, there are more soybean plots planted this year already than were planted all of last year.

Southern Ohio – Jordan Miller

Work in southern Ohio has gone from ahead of schedule to on time, or slightly behind. A dry fall and limited snowfall kept fields from getting too wet, and some field work began in late March and early April. Around Easter, a cold front came through and cooled soils down and delayed some fieldwork. Shortly after, many were able to get most, if not all anhydrous work, dry fertilizer spread and burndown herbicide applications. Some planters were cautiously rolling out, as many fields were still slightly cool and damp. May looks to dry out and planting can resume with soil temperatures finally back up to be able to plant. The slight delay in planting does cause concern for potential insect damage in corn especially with Armyworm and Black Cutworm traps recording high numbers from University of Kentucky monitoring station in Lexington. Be sure to scout corn in its early stages, especially in fields that were planted into green material.

Northeast and Southeast (NY, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC)

In New York, some planting has taken place and soil conditions have been relatively good, but soil temperatures are cool and rains have slowed progress. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are currently wet with very little planted and more rain expected. It could be a few days before field work will resume. Conditions in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have gotten very dry and rain is needed. Georgia is 95% complete with planting. South Carolina is at 85-90% complete. Very few soybeans are planted in Georgia and South Carolina. North Carolina is at 80-85% complete for corn and 15-20% complete for soybeans.