Arkansas corn growers facing ‘most challenging season since 2007’

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
April 26, 2019

Fast Facts:

Corn planting at about 47 percent, well behind five-year average
Even once planted, heavy rains have made achieving stands difficult
Much of Mid-South receiving twice the normal rainfall throughout spring

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DE VALLS BLUFF, Ark. – Along with the state’s other major commodities, Arkansas corn growers are fighting an uphill — if not upriver — battle to get seed in the ground and establish a stand, as the last days of “early planting” roll by.

Only about 47 percent of the state’s planned 830,000 acres of corn had been planted as of April 19, according to a report this week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — well behind the five-year average of 74 percent normally planted by this point in the season. The acreage was a considerable jump — about 170,000 acres — over 2018 acreage, but the slow planting, combined with the effects of continuously wet weather on growers’ efforts to establish stands, now put the number in doubt.

Brent Griffin, staff chair for the Prairie County Cooperative Extension Service office, said rainfall in his area was approaching 8-10 inches in the last three weeks.

“Prairie County farmers have been combating the rainfall and cool temperatures since the last week of March,” Griffin said. “Corn that was planted during the final week of March and first week of April has had the toughest time in emerging from the soil. The rain, along with cool conditions, stopped the germination and caused several acres to be replanted.”

Jason Kelley, extension feed grains agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the state’s corn growers are facing a tough decision as the end of the normal planting period crawls by.

“Most corn in the state is typically planted from mid-March to the end of April,” Kelley said. “Here it is, late April, and farmers are still waiting for the ground to dry out to plant for the first time, or are needing to replant due to poor stands.

“We have had a few short periods in March and early April to get corn planted, but those limited dry days were followed by heavy rains, which has caused poor stands in many fields,” he said.

Growers will need to decide whether to keep planting, keep the stands they have now, replant, plant a different crop or declare prevented planting, he said.

As May approaches, Kelley said, growers planting corn will likely see declining yields, although “in the last few years, there has been some very good May planted corn,” he said. “Ideally, we like to get corn planted in March and April.

“This is the most challenging and disappointing planting season that our corn farmers have faced since 2007, when a late Easter freeze caused widespread replanting,” Kelley said. “This year, we have large areas of the state where more than 50 percent of the planted corn will need to be replanted.”

Cooperative Extension Service agents in all areas of the state reported excessive rainfall last week. According to the USDA’s weekly crop progress report, the rainfall in the state averaged more than 7.6 inches over the past four weeks, more than twice the norm. The National Weather Service reported unusually high rainfall throughout much of the Mid-South region, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

To learn about row crop agriculture in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AR_Extension.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Media Contact: Ryan McGeeney
Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
rmcgeeney@uada.edu