News

Tennessee planting update: soybeans 53% and cotton 78% planted

Hot and dry weather helped farmers play catch-up on planting this past week. 

Eastern Tennessee farmer Don Holbert tells Brownfield they were slow to start.  “We couldn’t get the weather to warm up or the fields to dry out,” he says.  “Then all of the sudden it was like the water shut off and the sun started popping out and we’re on the homestretch.  We’re down to about 70 acres and we’re doing pretty good.”

He says despite the slow start, field conditions have been better than expected.  “The ground was just about perfect, soil temperatures were great,” he says.  “I ended up having to quit on Sunday because some of the ground was getting pretty hard.  So I stopped.” Holbert says they can go from okay to drought conditions in about 10 days and thankfully they received some much-needed rain on Monday.  

Statewide, corn is 93% planted, with 67% emerged. Soybeans are 53% planted with 30 emerged.  Cotton is 78% planted.

Wheat conditions held steady, with 58% of the crop rated good to excellent and 96% is headed with 48% coloring.

Pastures are rated 52% good to excellent. 

Topsoil moisture is 75% and subsoil moisture are 82% adequate to surplus.