Reporting from the South Delta is Virgil King, Lexington
We are off to a slow start this year with all the weather issues. We have corn up at this time but were not successful with getting all of it planted that was intended. Looks like to me we might have gotten about 60-70 % of intended acres planted. We have not been finding any insect or disease issues in the corn that is up. We have had a lot of issues with stands, frost and slow growing due to lack of good temperatures. A lot of our corn took way too long to come up. Growers have been doing what they can when they can get in the field but we have had very little field work this month. We have had a few soybeans planted but they are not up yet. No other crops have been planted at this time.
Reporting from South Mississippi is Trey Bullock, Hattiesburg
Corn is V-3 to V-5. Herbicides and side dress applications are being applied on a few fields. Corn looks fair right now. Cold, wet weather has it a little off color. Still have a grower with 1200 acre intentions and he is going to plant if we miss the rain Wednesday.
Last Saturday morning we had a frost over most of my area. I will be looking at wheat tomorrow (Wednesday) to see how the frost affected it. Most of the early varieties were at flowering. Later maturing varieties are just starting to head a little.
Checked soil temps yesterday around 9:00 and @ 4 inches it was 53. We will monitor soil temps this week and plant peanuts as temps get close to sufficient. Cotton will be planted next week if conditions allow.
These are some photos of sun scald on corn. (click on photo to enlarge)
Reporting from the North Delta is Ed Whatley, Clarksdale
Cotton – had one cotton grower start planting today
Corn- Had to replant 1/3 to 1/2 of early planted corn. Started back planting today, will stay with corn until it rains again. After that, will start shifting more acres to soybeans and cotton.
Soybeans – very few beans planted
Weeds- started finding pig weeds 7-10 days ago
Reporting from the South Delta is Bruce Pittman, Coila
No cotton has been planted by any of my customers – they are still trying to “fix” this corn crop. About 60% of the corn planted has a less than desirable stand. We’ll keep acres with a plant population of 25,000 or better and replant acres with less. Some growers are using Select to kill the poor stands to replant and some are re-hipping and will replant. Oldest corn planted March 6 – 8th with no signs of stinkbugs. Frost nipped corn last Saturday (April 20th) but will recover. Applying fertilizer and herbicides when weather permits. It has rained every Wednesday or Thursday for the last month. Seeing lots of hog damage.
Only a few soybeans have been planted and no cotton. Cotton acres might increase slightly (from corn acres not planted) but my customers acres will be down 50 – 60% from 2012 overall.
4/24/13 – Reporting from the North Delta is Justin George, Merigold
Rice- 2/3 planted in Bolivar Co. Behind overall. It’s taken 4 attempts for some very efficient planters to get that 2/3 planted. We should be thru. More acres would’ve gone in were it not for corn complications.
Corn- March 8-16 corn looks good and is needing herbicide to lay it by. Flying out some fertilize on some to get us by. March 20-21 corn really needs replanting, but will live with some thin stands due to not being able to replant or will plant beans and destroy corn. With so much yield depending on corn stands and “health at emergence” this crop will likely not match last year’s yield. People still planning to keep planting, but I hate to see May 1st planted corn be 3-5 leaf and NEED water around 20 days after emergence. We won’t like that scenario.
Soybeans- a few acres planted last week that are emerging now. Overall everyone is behind. Probably not 5% planted. Will be facing a lot of bug pressure.
Overall the biggest and best thing this year was last fall’s (and this early spring’s) burndown. Those that thought they would burndown near planting, or still need to work ground are facing a big problem.
Consultant Commentary – Up-to-Date Information from Mississippi’s Crop Professionals
Reporting from East Mississippi is Homer Wilson, Fulton
4/25/13 – Cold and wet. 2.35 inches of rain since 4/19/13, 35 degrees on 4/20, 37 degrees on 4/25, lots of frost damage on wheat. On 4/20, in my east region – could be 10% damage. Wheat looks very good – all had fungicide.
Maybe 75% of corn planted – about 40% of this is a stand. Lots of aphids on young corn and some cutworm sign in low spots. No spraying yet. Only about 50 acres of soybeans planted – none up. No cotton planted. We are behind – hope next week will be better.
Reporting from South Mississippi is Trey Bullock, Hattiesburg
4/25/13 – Corn is looking a little better this week. Corn is from V-4 to V-6. Rainfall this past Wednesday ranged from .7″ to 2″. Looks like growers will be able to get back in a few fields today (Friday) to hopefully finish side dressing corn.
Soil temps are surprisingly warm, with some fields reaching 72 degrees at 4 “. Problem is fields are still borderline wet to plant peanuts or cotton. Depending on rains this weekend, maybe we can start planting Monday. However, weather forecast is not looking good for next 7 days.
Wheat seems slow to progress in these cooler temps, but looking a lot better than I thought it would as fields mature. Have seen a few Fall Army worm egg masses in a few fields this week.
Hope everyone has a great DRY weekend.
Reporting from the South Delta is Bruce Pittman, Coila
4/26/13 – Received ½” – ¾” of rain this week. Farmers trying to straighten out existing corn crop but corn planting may have come to an end on any new acres. Start planting soybeans when it dries up.
Reporting from the North Delta is Justin George, Merigold
4/26/13 – Wednesday morning’s rain further delayed planting in Sunflower County. From Hwy 49 it looks like only 5% of the acres are planted. Coahoma County was able to keep rolling thru today. Corn planting continued thru today. In the first planted corn, starter fertilized corn is starting to show out and we are knifing, plowing and spraying herbicide where dry. Replant corn from last week is starting to emerge and was sprayed with Gramoxone to kill first planted. Disease in wheat has really slowed down. Rice is emerging and doing well. Flying out ammonium sulfate on the first planted rice that went in the ground around March 19.
Tucker Miller, Drew, sent these photos of sun scald on corn leaves and a common issue in corn fields throughout the state this year, delayed emergence, resulting in an uneven stand. (Click on photo to enlarge)