AgFax Mid South Cotton Report, April 28, 2020

Gary Wolfe, La-Ark Agricultural Consulting, Ida, Louisiana: 

"About 500 acres of our expected cotton crop have been planted, and I think that's the only cotton planted in this area so far (4/27). That cotton is up now and looks pretty good.

"Where I work in southwest Arkansas, at least some expected corn acreage will end up in prevented planting. I also work as a crop insurance adjuster, and I have 23 prevented planting claims on corn up through there, plus another 3 in Texas. And those are just policy holders who work with one company. Areawide, I understand a lot of prevented planting has been triggered in the Paris, Texas, area because it's been too wet."

Keith Collins, Extension Agent, Richland, Ouachita and Franklin Parishes, Rayville, Louisiana:

"Very little, if any, cotton has been planted, but that should begin soon with drier and warmer conditions.

"Last year, we went through a challenging planting season. But so far, it's definitely been more difficult in 2020. Frequent showers made for challenging planting conditions with 2- to 3-day windows to plant.

"Corn planting ran from the first week of March to mid-April. We planted most of our corn in the first full week of April, which was the only full week we had this season. We've had a lot of spot replanting and there were entire fields with these challenging conditions while trying to get the crop planted in an optimum window.

"We have planted limited acres of soybeans, with a little going in two weeks ago. In the last few days, folks were starting to plant more beans after getting corn in. But we probably haven't planted more than 10% to 15% of our soybean acres so far.

"A small but stable base of farmers grow peanuts in northeast Louisiana. A year or two ago, a couple of Madison Parish farmers came into the crop, too. In total, about 6 of our farmers raise peanuts every year now."

Dan Fromme, Louisiana Extension Cotton And Corn Specialist:

"As predicted, it's raining here right now (4/28). We were just starting to dry up enough to begin planting cotton, then it rained yet again. That's been the pattern this season and in the last two or three years, for that matter.

"On the positive side, it's consistently warming up enough to start planting, with good DD-60s in the forecast. We really like to have all of our cotton planted by May 15.

"Corn planting is over. Even in northern Louisiana, April 22 starts getting a little late for most farmers to keep planting. Insurance deadlines have little influence on that decision. Most farmers go with the idea that April 22 is the approximate cutoff date for planting any more corn in this part of the state. As it works out, the insurance deadline and that planting cutoff roughly coincide.

"Last Wednesday (4/22), a tornado inflicted a huge amount of damage here at the Dean Lee Extension Center (at Alexandria). Our entire research farm – other than our office building – took a direct hit, leaving us with a pile of rubble. The storm pretty much leveled every building.

"Some of our equipment made it through okay but some didn't. We're still trying to sort through all the debris. The DeWitt Center where we hold meetings and conference is a total loss. All the equipment sheds and chemical storage buildings were all destroyed, too. The tornado destroyed all of my cottonseed. Luckily, our office building is set far enough away from the farm that it's fine.

"More importantly, the tornado went right by the dorms and houses on the adjoining campus. A number of people who work on the farm live in those units, and no one was hurt."