Through April and early May, the United States saw planting delays in major corn-growing states because of a cool, wet spring. But, thanks to warmer weather over the last few weeks, farmers have made up for lost time and caught up to the five-year average. While a few of the northernmost states struggled with lingering weather, overall, planting progress in the United States has rebounded.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of June 1, all of the top 18 corn-growing states have planted more than 80 percent of their acres, with 13 of the 18 at more than 90 percent. Currently, 95 percent of total U.S. corn planting is complete – a considerable improvement over the 29 percent that was planted at the beginning of May.

The quick turnaround is due to modern technology.

“American farmers, with the capabilities we have these days, can plant a lot of corn in a hurry,” said Nebraska farmer Dave Nielsen.

Reaching Final Planting Dates

The improving weather has been a welcome reprieve for most of these states. For most, final planting dates range from the end of May to the middle of June.

However, for some, there was little chance of making these deadlines. In North Dakota, where cold, wet weather lingered longer, several farmers missed final planting dates for long-season corn. These farmers faced a tough decision, as they had to determine if they were willing to accept lower yields expected with late-planted corn or switch their land to another crop that has a shorter maturity, such as soybeans.

Still Expecting a Strong Harvest

Fortunately, these issues are only affecting a small part of the total U.S. corn growing area. Projections for the 2014/2015 corn crop remain strong, as higher plant yields and improving growing conditions are expected to make up for any decreases in land planted.

“In the springtime when it’s cold, that’s the least important growing time for corn,” stated Paul Jeschke, a farmer from Mazon, Ill., “The summer weather is the big factor. A warmer June, July or August could put us on schedule for a normal harvest.”

As warmer weather rolled in, U.S. farmers pushed to recover from a late start to planting, getting back on track for a robust 2014 corn crop.