Corn Planting at 95%, Rice 81%, Sorghum 71%, Soybeans 29%

The latest Louisiana Crop Progress & Condition Report from the National Ag Statistics Service shows planting progress slowly moving forward, with constant rainfall keeping farmers out of fields across the state.  

Corn planting now stands at 95 percent completed, 81 percent of the rice crop is in the ground, sorghum planting is at the 71 percent mark, and soybean planting is 29 percent done.  All of those percentages are well behind the average pace for this time of year, due to very wet field conditions.

Comments from Cooperative Extension Parish Agents:

“Intermittent rain showers making field work difficult. Corn beginning to take off growing.” – Carol Pinnell-Alison, Franklin Parish

“No field work last week. Still wet and more rain expected in the week ahead. Grain sorghum and corn crops need drier conditions and sunshine, however the rice and sugarcane crops are doing well in this hot humid weather. The portion of the bean crop that has been planted is struggling to survive with saturated soils. Crawfish producers are in limbo with soft markets, and cattle producers have ryegrass hay standing in the field reaching over maturity with quality declining daily waiting on favorable ground conditions and sunshine to lay it down. Conditions need to improve quickly” – Vincent Deshotel, Saint Landry Parish

“With pasture conditions being moist, this delayed the first hay cutting drastically for a few more weeks. Some rice fields are waiting until green ring to send out first application of nitrogen.” – Bradley Poussion, Cameron Parish

“Very wet conditions continued this week. Some rice fertilization and herbicide spraying took place earlier in week before rains came. Flooded conditions will delay any field work this week.” – Jimmy Meaux, Calcasieu Parish

“Rains continue to dampen fields and slow field progress. Soybean growers continue to wait for dry conditions to resume or begin planting. Sugarcane growers need a few weeks of dry weather to allow them to get back in the fields and to finish up putting out fertilizer, herbicide and possibly fungicide for rust. Hay growers need dry weather to make a cutting. Spring vegetables are starting to make good progress but wet weather is causing bacterial spot issues in peppers. Some early peach varieties are being harvested along with blackberries.” – Stuart Gauthier, Saint Martin Parish

“Some sugarcane fertilized at start of week, but rains have stopped all field work. Crops, vegetable gardens, and livestock are progressing nicely this spring, but the recent rains are on the verge of causing serious concerns in relation to weed, insect, and disease development.” – Blair Hebert, Iberia Parish

“Conditions were very wet, hardly no sunshine. Wind still from the Southeast making the tide higher than normal in lower parts of the Parish. Field work will continue.” – Reed Himel, Terrebonne Parish

Click here to see the full report

Monica Velasquez