Posted: 04.20.2010

At least 3 percent to be exact!

The latest update from the WI Ag Statistical Service shows 3 percent of the states corn crop is already in the ground - primarily in southwest and western Wisconsin.  State ag officials say that 3 percent mark may not sound like much, but its big compared to the normal "zero" in that category.

Oats are also a crop capitalizing on the warm, dry weather.  Statewide there's 62 percent of the oat crop in the ground with 18 percent already emerged!  Normally at this time of spring, only about 20 percent of the oats would be seeded.

The other note of optimism found in this weeks crop report was in alfalfa and winter wheat updates.  Most growers are reporting very little winter kill damage to either crop - and in fact, area agronomists are guesstamating that the first crop cutting schedule may be at least two weeks early this year because of the weather.

Now not everything in this weeks report was rosey.  Growers in west central and northwest Wisconsin are already voicing some concerns about how dry the soil moisture already is.  In fact over 70 percent are reporting their soil moisture is "short" in supply.  That area of the state has been experiencing drought like conditions for the past three years according to growers.

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