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Rain slows NE planting, provides drought relief

South-Central Nebraska farmer August Fishell says recent rainfall has put the brakes on planting but brought relief to on-going drought.

“We’re getting here to the second week of May.  It needs to dry out a little bit for us to get back in there.”

Topsoil moisture is rated at 64 percent adequate-to-surplus and subsoil moisture is rated at 41 percent adequate-to-surplus.

USDA’s latest crop progress and condition report says 39 percent of corn has been planted 26 percent behind last year and 4 percent has emerged.

Fishell tells Brownfield planting needs to get back on schedule to avoid potential yield loss.

“You give it another week or two and people will start getting nervous.”

Twenty-eight percent of soybeans have been planted, 15 percent behind last year.

Winter wheat condition is rated at 33 percent good-to-excellent.

Ninety percent of oats have been planted and 2 percent of sorghum is in.

Pasture and range conditions are rated 13 percent good-to-excellent.