Editors' Notebook

OMAHA (DTN) -- It's May 28 -- 24 days until the first day of summer. In Omaha, Neb., the temperature was 76 degrees by 10 a.m. CDT. Today's forecast high is just shy of 90 degrees and I've no official numbers on humidity, but let's just say this well-insulated old lady is feeling it in the sweat running down my neck whenever I step outside.

But I am not complaining. And neither are any of the participants in DTN's email reader consulting group.

Timely rains and growth enhancing heat are welcome in most areas we've received reports from. Didn't hear too much from the very northern corn growing areas this week and they are still having a hard time getting all the corn in. North Dakota was only 67% planted as of May 25, according to the latest USDA crop progress report, compared to a 75% five-year average and Michigan was 53% planted compared to an 82% average.

But, in general, things are looking up and greening up.

Here are some local reports from readers. If you'd like to participate in this group, email me at cheri.zagurski@dtn.com.

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Jason Willemarck, Baraboo, Wis.

The weather finally gave us a break in our area of the state. We had a week's worth of dry sunny weather that helped get planting done. Managed to get the corn ground worked up and planted in a few days. Ran around the clock in order to take advantage of the good weather. Watched the sun go down and come back up from the tractor cab. In our area just about everywhere you look you could see dust flying and either someone was planting or working the ground to get ready to plant. Speaking to a neighbor across the fence line while waiting for fertilizer delivery they stated they didn't know what to plant. Everything is ready and which to start with. Corn then to soybeans by evening into the night.

The spray rigs are going just as strong as the planters, too. A lot of farm equipment moving up and down roads all over the area. The holiday weekend brought a chance of rain to help soak the freshly planted acres. Just overnight we had 1 inch of rain, although it was a heavy downpour, it was needed to get the seedlings a good start. Now with average weather for the remainder of the week everything will get a good start. The hay ground is coming along well now with the moisture and warmer temperatures. First cutting is just about ready to start by June 1. A little late for our area but it looks like the tonnage should make up for it.

Looking around the rest of our area those who have gotten the corn in a week or more ago you can now row it well. Winter wheat is looking good, even seen some soybeans up about 1-2 inches already.

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Phil Carter, New Era, Mich.

The weekend was actually very nice. Did some discing in a new apple orchard just established, couldn't get any fertilizer until Mon a.m. (shortage of nurse tanks), did get some corn in the ground but have a ways to go. Planted some more today (Tuesday). Have a mower and weed sprayer to repair plus apples to spray again.

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John Moore, Manhattan, Ill.

Been a very busy week for most here in north-central Illinois. A lot of acres got planted finally. Still more waiting to dry out. We finished corn planting except for the organic acres. Waiting for one last weed flush to come up before we plant corn and have to rely on a cultivator. Have decided to use the drill and our split-row planter this year so we can get the beans in faster. It was a wonderful weekend for making hay. Put up 2,500-plus bales in order to plant a field to beans. Got 'er done just ahead of the rains. Monday night we had anywhere from 0.25 to 1.78 inches on our various farms. Today (Tuesday) another 1.25 or better to top it off. Long days and short nights but "Hey, ain't life grand!" Love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything. John Moore, Manhattan, Ill.

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Keith Landis, Sterlin, Ill.

Most of the corn in the area is in and up or will be up shortly. We dragged our first organic corn fields for weed control yesterday between showers. We still have a field of corn to plant yet. The beans are in. First-cut dairy alfalfa was chopped and bagged this past Saturday, so first-cut hay-making has begun by those who make hay. We still have manure to haul out of the dairy barn, which is our next priority. Warm weather changed the color of that early neon green corn. Our only other change in plans is to till up a couple acres of wheat that didn't make the winter and put in sunflowers.

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Stephen Tuttle, Basehor, Kan.

We had 1 inch of rain last week. 80 degree temps. Corn is growing well now, recovered well after a frost on May 16. Soybeans are coming up, and look great. So do the weeds. Wheat is done flowering, frost affected some, will know more about damage later. Brome hay harvest is 7-10 days away.

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Dave Tollefson, Starbuck, Minn.

(Sent Tuesday) In west-central Minnesota yesterday (Monday) we worked feverishly to beat the oncoming rain from the south. It finally hit around 2:30. I helped co-workers get back to their vehicles in heavy, heavy rain, then I drove a few miles to my place on dusty gravel roads. Very local showers -- where we were planting beans for my neighbor and spraying pre-emerge right behind, they got over an inch of rain in too much of a hurry, while my farm got only 0.3 inch. But hopefully that's enough to germinate beans that were in dry dirt, and activate the pre-emerge chemicals that are so important in these days of resistant weed species.

(Sent Sunday) I finished all my planting corn and beans Friday and Saturday. The last 25 acres of corn finally dried out enough, and the wetter fields of beans were completed Saturday. All but 25 acres of corn are sprayed with pre-emerge, and all of the beans. Also rolling of beans is done. Nice to be done -- now we could use a nice half inch of rain to bring all the beans up. Some were planted in cloddy conditions. Earlier planted corn is up and looks good.

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Bud Tate, Greenwood, Miss.

It does not take long to catch up from a cold, long winter when the temperature overnight is 75 degrees (5 a.m.) and the upper 80s during the day. Our crops are growing good, now. That late-February corn is almost 6 foot and the soybeans planted mid-April are about a foot tall. Wheat is almost complete, turning brown, and should be ready to cut by next weekend. We are expecting about 1 inch rain over the next two days, which will cover a lot of mistakes.

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Bob Birdsell, Stanberry, Mo.

Well it is amazing what a shower, sunshine and warmer weather will do for sick corn! Two of the fields that I can watch that had residual damage are looking a lot better the last few days, there are several thin spots and don't know what it will do to the final yield. I'm just glad it's not mine. We are getting a few beans planted, got rained out Saturday evening, might be able to go this afternoon (Tuesday). Some of the guys are done. We all need to remember to take breaks, I know it's hard to do!

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Scott Wallis, southern Indiana

All of our corn is up, looking average to above average, started side dressing, beans are planted except some low bottoms. My area is 90% done with corn,50-60% done with early beans.

(CZ/SK)

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