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Farmer says Mother Nature hasn’t been kind during planting season

An Eastern Nebraska farmer says Mother Nature has provided minimal relief from persistent drought. 

Mike Bergen farms near Henderson and says last week he received three rains totally just over a half-an-inch. “We’re dry on top. There is a little bit of moisture to get it germed. Some of the corn I planted last Monday or Tuesday has sprouted and there’s still moisture there.”

The latest crop progress and condition report from USDA says 10 percent of the crop is in, five percent ahead of last year. Topsoil moistures are 18 percent adequate-to-surplus and subsoil moisture is 16 percent adequate-to-surplus.

Three percent of soybeans have been planted.

He tells Brownfield it’s not as dry in his area, but conditions are worse to the west. “A lot of people had to water their fields with pivots before they went to the field planting. We’re not in that bad of a situation but if we don’t catch some rains pretty quick here, it’s going to make for a pretty interesting growing season.”

Winter wheat is rated at 24 percent good-to-excellent.

Seventy-nine percent of oats have been planted.