Corn Is Up In Illinois

Progressive Farmer:

"We've spent the last few years mudding in the crop late in the season," Jay Ryan of Pana, Ill., said, looking overfields that already march up and down the row at the V3 growth stage. "We weren't about to miss perfect planting conditions."

Ryan and his brother, Keith, planted their first acreage on March 13 and planted again on March 15. Ryan said they then waited for a frustrating number of days wondering whether to continue. But with heat units accumulating and a good long-range weather forecast, all signs pointed to go.

The crop insurance earliest planting date (April 6 in this region) didn't slow the brothers down either. Ryan said he figured the risk of incurring the cost of replant was worth getting a good start in "the best planting conditions I can remember."

Seed supply is tight in the area and the chance of obtaining replant hybrids also a question, but that was a chance Ryan said he was willing to take. "There will be good genetics available, they just may not be our first choice," Ryan said. In addition to farming, Ryan works full time for Stone Seed Company.

Their mid-March planted fields emerged fast and Ryan said his immediate concerns are now not so much about frost, but rather, keeping up with scouting for possible pests such as black cutworm.

Wow,  they started planting on March 13.  Pretty impressive.  Those guys are braver than I.  Maybe we'll get started in a few days.