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Warm weather helps farmers return to fieldsMissouri A few days of warmer weather allowed farmers to return to the fields during the week ending May 4, however, rains the latter part of the week further hampered spring planting and other field activities, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Missouri Field Office, May 5. Producers in the northern and central parts of the state are considering switching acres from corn to soybeans if planting delays still occur over the next 10 days. Some farm buildings were damaged as a result of a tornado in the southern part of Dunklin County. Spring tillage is 33 percent complete, over a month behind both last year and normal. Topsoil moisture rates 62 percent adequate and 38 surplus. Subsoil moisture rates 2 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 20 percent surplus, with some slight dryness in the east central district. There were 3.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Corn planting advanced 15 percentage points over last week to 23 percent complete, more than two weeks behind last year and three weeks behind normal. Progress in the Bootheel continued to accelerate from last week to 68 percent complete, while the slowest pace is the west central and northern part of the state. Corn emergence is at 7 percent, 12 days behind last year and 19 days behind normal. Soybean planting was minimal over the past week. Two percent of the crop is planted. Rice planting is 39 percent complete, 8 days behind last year and 9 days behind normal. Rice emergence is at 4 percent complete, 12 days behind last year and 14 days behind normal. Cotton planting stands at 19 percent complete, 7 days behind last year and 8 days behind normal. Sorghum planting is 4 percent complete, compared with 12 percent last year and 20 percent for the five-year average. Winter wheat condition for the state is rated 6 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 42 percent good, and 5 percent excellent, a slight deterioration from last week. Eleven percent of the winter wheat crop has headed, over a week behind last year and normal. The first cutting of alfalfa is 2 percent harvested, 12 days behind last year and 3 days behind normal. Other hay cutting is getting started, with 1 percent harvested statewide. Pasture condition is rated 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Pasture conditions at the state level improved 5 points from last week in the good to excellent categories. However, pasture conditions did not improve due to wet, cool temperatures in the west central, central, and northeast parts of the state. Hay supply is rated 13 percent very short, 28 percent short, 56 adequate, and 3 percent surplus. The worst shortages were across the northern part of the state. Stock water supplies are rated 84 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. 5/12/08 Date: 5/8/08
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