Drought concern in 16 top corn growing states as the 2024 planting season begins

Drought conditions persist in 16 of the 18 top corn growing states as the 2024 planting season begins, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor maps released April 4. States in the Midwest are experiencing the greatest percentage of drought with just 38% of the region free from drought stress. 

According to the April 1 Crop Progress report Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas have reported at least 1% of their corn crop planted. All six states are facing some degree of moisture stress as the growing season gets underway.

Texas

In Texas, more than half of the state is drought free. This is a significant improvement compared to the start of the 2023 growing season when just 19% of the state’s acres were free from drought stress. According to the latest maps, 2% of Texas is in D3 extreme drought, 8% is in D2 severe drought, 15% is in D1 moderate drought, and 20% is abnormally dry.

The April 1 USDA Crop Progress report noted, Texas topsoil moisture supplies were 12% very short, 36% short, 45% adequate, and 7% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies in the state were 12% very short, 37% short, 46% adequate, and 5% surplus for the week ending March 31.

The report said 57% of Texas corn has been planted. This is up 11% from the previous week, and 3% ahead of the five-year average. 

The Texas Crop Progress report notes that corn planting continues statewide, and corn has begun emerging in the Blacklands and Southeast Texas. Winter wheat producers in some parts of the state have turned on supplemental irrigation due to a lack of rainfall. Statewide rainfall ranged from trace amounts to three inches with the northeastern part of the state receiving the most rain the week ending March 31.

Kentucky

Unlike many other top corn growing states, drought conditions in Kentucky are worse now than they were at the beginning of the 2023 growing season. As this planting season begins, 9% of Kentucky is in D1 moderate drought, 31% is abnormally dry, and 60% of the state is drought free, according to the latest drought monitor map.

According to the USDA Crop Progress report for Kentucky topsoil moisture supplies were recently rated 4% very short, 24% short, 68% adequate, and 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 4% very short, 25% short, 68% adequate, and 3% surplus.

The same report noted 2% of Kentucky corn had been planted. This planting pace is similar to last year, and ahead of the five-year average of no corn planted by this time.

Throughout the month of March, Kentucky experienced above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation, contributing to the state’s increased drought conditions to begin the 2024 growing season. Preliminary data from the Ag Weather Center suggests that March 2024 could be among the top 15 warmest Marches ever recorded. The state averaged 2.63 inches of precipitation for the month of March.

Illinois 

Illinois is also beginning the 2024 growing season with some drought concerns compared to the last year when the state was 100% drought free. The latest drought monitor maps show 13% of Illinois is in D1 moderate drought, 19% is abnormally dry, and the remaining 67% is free from drought stress.

Phil Krieg, an agronomy service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection, says that weather has been dry across his region of southern Illinois. As a result, he says that has allowed for some “spotty early corn and soybean planting.”

The Crop Progress report shows 1% of Illinois corn is in the ground, which is ahead of both the five-year average and last year at this time.

Krieg says that some rainfall at the beginning of this week kept farmers from continuing their progress, but planting intensity of both crops is expected to increase after the weather system passes.

For the week ending March 31, the Illinois Crop Progress report shows more than half the state had adequate soil moisture. Topsoil moisture supplies were 5% very short, 33% short, 52% adequate, and 10% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 12% very short, 20% short, 55% adequate, and 3% surplus.

Other states 

In Wisconsin, while drought conditions were nonexistent at the beginning of the growing season last year, 6% of the state is in D2 severe drought to start the 2024 growing season.

Nick Groth, an agronomy service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection, says that some ambitious growers actually planted a few acres of soybeans in March due to warm weather in late February and early March. USDA is expected to begin reporting on soybean planting progress in the Crop Progress report later in April.

“It will be very interesting to see how these handfuls of fields progress,” Groth says, “especially with the cold weather that followed for the remainder of [March].”