The latest Crop Progress Report published by the Mississippi Field Office of the USDA Agricultural Statistics Service indicates that only 7% of Mississippi soybean acres had been planted by Apr. 21.  This is well below last year’s average of 39% and the 5-yr. average of 32% planted by this date.

For those of you who have seed of MG IV varieties to plant and may be questioning whether or not these varieties should still be planted as we move into early and mid-May, there should be no cause for concern.  MG IV varieties planted at these later dates may yield less than the same varieties planted in mid- and late-April, but they will still yield as well as later-maturing varieties planted at these more conventional dates.  So keep this in mind if you still have bean acres to plant, or if you are converting planned corn acres to soybean acres.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Apr. 2013, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net