By Jamie Martin
After months of rain delays, Arkansas farmers have managed to plant 98% of the state’s intended 710,000 corn acres by May 26, according to the USDA. The persistent wet spring made planting especially difficult this year.
Jason Kelley, extension agronomist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said progress was slow after a strong early start in March. Heavy rain in April forced many farmers to replant about 53,000 acres out of the 265,000 planted by March’s end.
“It’s been a challenging year,” Kelley said. “A lot of that corn planted in March ended up being replanted. It’s been wet in a lot of areas since April 1.”
The final week of May saw only 2.3 days suitable for fieldwork, with topsoil and subsoil moisture levels in surplus on more than half the acreage. Many growers have had to stick with suboptimal stands rather than replant due to lost time and lowered profitability potential.
Kelley emphasized that corn planted after May 1 typically sees reduced yields, making late replanting unprofitable. Rising input costs, especially nitrogen fertilizer, are another major concern.
Nitrogen prices rose sharply in May, with urea averaging $652 per ton, up 13% from April, while liquid fertilizers like UAN28 and UAN32 reached $414 and $494 per ton respectively.
Dry urea is often preferred during tight planting windows due to ease of use. “In years like this, when we get pushed to hurry up and get something done between the rains, most people go with urea. It’s simpler to put out, and you can cover a lot more acreage in a shorter period,” Kelley explained.
For more details on Arkansas agricultural programs, visit www.uaex.uada.edu or follow @AR_Extension online.
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