FARMER OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELD Naturally, he was checking soil moisture

Posted at 1128 a.m. on May 12, 2021

The Brillion News

MADISON - Mother Nature was cooperative the week heading up to Mothers' Day and Wisconsin had 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending May 9, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Central and southern Wisconsin received some rain early in the week but the rest of the week was dry, windy and cool. Overnight lows were in the 30s for much of the week with a widespread hard freeze on Friday night.

This was excellent weather for fieldwork, with lots of planting, manure applications and tillage accomplished this week.

However, cold and dry soil conditions have slowed crop emergence. Crop progress field reporters commented that crop development seemed slow compared to the amount of growing degree days received this year.

Farmers were on alert for frost damage to hay stands, fruit trees and cranberries.

Topsoil moisture condition rated six percent very short, 21 short short, but 69 percent adequate and four percent surplus.

Subsoil moisture condition rated four percent very short, 22 percent short, 69 percent adequate and five percent surplus.

Corn is reported 49 percent planted, two days behind last year but five days ahead of the five-year average. Corn emerged was at five percent, two days ahead of both last year and the average.

Soybeans are reported 34 percent planted, one day ahead of last year and nine days ahead of the average. Some reports were received of soybeans emerging in southern Wisconsin. Oats are reported 82 percent planted, five days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the average. Forty-eight percent of oats are emerged, five days ahead of last year and nine days ahead of the average. Oat condition was rated 70 percent good to excellent statewide. Potatoes are 77 percent planted, six days ahead of last year and eight days ahead of the average.

Winter wheat condition was rated 88 percent good to excellent statewide, up two percentage points from last week.

Spring tillage was reported 84 percent complete, four days ahead of last year and 14 days ahead of the average.

All hay condition was reported 72 percent in good to excellent condition. Pasture conditions was rated 62 percent good to excellent, one percentage point above last week.