(SPRINGFIELD) Farmers have been taking advantage of the unusually dry ground conditions over the past week to some earlier-than-normal planting, mostly in southern Illinois. While the soil temperatures are abnormally warmer-than-usual, some are putting mostly soybeans in the ground, and the forecast for next week looks promising for the planting to resume after Easter. However, fieldwork activity was not as prominent in the northern two-thirds of the state due to cool weather conditions and a run of stormy weather. The USDA will resume its weekly crop progress & conditions report, along with the percentage of planted acreage estimates next week.
