By Dave Dahl/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois corn and soybeans advanced in the first week of May.
Corn is 42 percent emerged, and soybeans are 33 percent planted. That’s better than the long-term averages of 36 and 19, respectively.
“One percent of corn acres are rated poor, 17 fair, 65 good, and 17 percent of corn acres are rated excellent,” said Mark Schleusener, the USDA’s state statistician, giving the first condition numbers of the season.
Weather was favorable. “In general, the northern part of the state got more rain than the rest of the state,” says Schleusener. “It’s almost their turn; the southern part of the state has been too wet most of the year so far.”
