News

Good weather in SD for planting and emergence

A southeastern South Dakota farmer says the weather has been good for corn and soybean emergence.

Kevin Scott finished planting in early May and tells Brownfield there have been timely rains.

“We had 1.5 inches of rain for three or four days in a row and then, we’d get smaller rains. It was perfect,” he says. “The corn is beyond the two-leaf stage, but it will grow with the 80-degree weather in the forecast. The soybeans are poking through the ground or have a few leaves.”

USDA says 12% of South Dakota’s soybeans are emerged, ahead of average with less than half of the crop planted across the state. South Dakota’s corn is 76% planted with 30% of the crop emerged, also ahead of average.

Spring wheat planting is nearing completion, with 74% of the crop emerging. Two percent of the winter wheat is headed with conditions rated 34% good.

USDA says 31% of South Dakota’s sorghum is planted and 3% of the sunflowers are planted, both ahead of average.