News

Crop conditions vary across Arkansas

An Arkansas farmer says his crops are telling two different stories.

Derek Haigwood farms near Newport, Arkansas.  “Everything is doing fair,” he says.  “Everything we got in early is doing good and the late stuff, well, we’ll see.”

He says the crops that got in early look great.  “The corn we got in early is going to be really good corn,” he says.  “Our rice that we got in early is really good and we even had some soybeans that got planted when we had a window around the 1^st of April and they look outstanding.”

Across the rest of the state, corn continues to progress nicely with 96% silking with 53% of the crop is in the dough stage and 23% dented, 1% mature, and 68% is rated good to excellent.  Rice is rated 66% good to excellent with 8% headed.  Soybeans are 99% emerged, 81% blooming, and 56% setting pods, with 65% of the crop rated good to excellent. 

However, Haigwood says he’s concerned about his late planted soybeans.  “If we make 30 bushels to the acre we’ll be tickled to death,” he says. 

Cotton made significant advancements again this past week with 93% squaring and 56% setting bolls, 81% is rated good to excellent.   Peanuts are rated 94% good to excellent with 88% of the crop pegging. 

Hay first cutting is 98% complete and 78% rated good to excellent.  Pastures are rated 55% good to excellent. 

Topsoil moisture is rated 65% percent adequate to surplus and subsoil moisture is rated 65% adequate to surplus.