Last week, I had to stop the truck. Next to a field where corn was at the V2 stage was another crop popping out of the ground. Soybean plants were emerging in eastern Missouri fields situated along the Missouri River bottom.

While the farmers in my neck of the woods were able to plant both corn and soybeans into their sandy soils early, there are many others across the state struggling to get crops in the ground thanks to yet another wet planting season. The majority of the corn is in the ground in Missouri with just 18% of the corn remaining to be planted, according to the May 18 USDA crop progress report. However, the weather is not helping to move soybean planting along.

SOGGY START: A few fortunate farmers in Missouri are seeing soybeans start to emerge. However, many are soybean growers are behind in planting thanks to some wet weather patterns that continue to plague the state. Some areas have seen more than double the amount of rainfall just in the month of May.

There is just 16% of the state's soybean crop in the ground, according to the mid-May report. The number pales in comparison to planting figures last year when farmers had already sowed 30% of the 5 million acres. Adding insult to injury is the fact that this year farmers are well behind the five-year average of 27%. And if fields are not planted soon, they delays could impact yields.

Study shows yield drag

According to University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold, if the soybean crop is not in the ground by the end of May, yields drop by 10%. His studies further show that soybean yields decrease 4% when not planted by mid-May.

That is significant, but not as important as the long-term damage to soil that working wet fields can cause, Wiebold says. So, he recommends farmers stay out of the fields until conditions improve. "Soil conditions, rather than calendar date, dictate when to plant."

The resilient soybean fares better than corn when planted late. "It's amazing at how good soybean really is at hanging in there," Wiebold says.

Planting date of the soybean crop affects yield less than environmental conditions in August, he says. Conditions during the first two weeks of August govern soybean pod and seed development, which are determinants of yield.

Too soaked for soybeans

Conditions across the state vary greatly. Less soybeans has been planted in the western part of the state where heavy rains have hit. So far in May, St. Joseph received 6.6 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, three inches above the norm. In that region, only 7% of the soybean crop is planted and farmers are only at the halfway point for corn planting.

Rains in southwestern Missouri also put farmers behind. In Joplin, 5.89 inches fell since the beginning of the month. This area of the state reports just 6% of soybean planted, however, 94% of the corn is in the ground.

Eastern Missouri is one area of the state that is running close to normal on precipitation with 2.27 inches reported in May. This area shows the most progress in soybean planting for the state, with 24% planted in the northeast, 23%in east central and 29% in the southeast.

Unfortunately, it appears farmers will not likely make a dent in progress next week as, the weather forecast is calling for more rain this weekend across the Midwest again.