News

Ag meteorologist: planting conditions should improve

An ag meteorologist says most of the Midwest should have a relatively good planting season despite a sluggish start.

Drew Lerner with World Weather Incorporated says there are warm temperatures in the forecast for the next week and it’s needed, because there are wet soils in many growing areas.

“We’ve already got some planting delays happening in the lower Mississippi River Basin and the Delta. It’s going to rain in that part of the country and the lower part of the Midwest has saturated topsoil.”

Lerner says in the northern states the snow will start to thaw and there will be some flooding.

“The situation with the Upper Mississippi River and western Great Lakes region will take a few weeks to get snow melted and then, get the flood water out of the way,” he says. “There could very well be significant planting delays. It’s all about temperatures and future precipitation.”

Lerner is also forecasting drier, warmer conditions in the western Corn Belt later this spring and summer due to the transition from La Nina to El Nino.