Host Mike Pearson spoke this week with agriculture meteorologist Greg Soulje about an El Niño pattern expected to strengthen through summer, bringing wetter-than-normal conditions to large parts of the Corn Belt and Plains. El Niño wet pattern was cited as the primary driver of continued planting delays and field-work challenges across northern and eastern Corn Belt areas. Soulje also flagged increased monsoon activity in the Southwest and persistent drought across the southern Plains that keeps stress on winter wheat where severe storms remain a threat.
Soil moisture and a slow-moving storm pattern will be the dominant operational concern for many producers through mid-May, Soulje said, with cold pockets raising frost risk in some areas even as the Southeast trends warmer. Multiple rounds of precipitation and strong storms are expected to continue through the end of the month, which will compress spring field windows and likely stretch equipment and labor resources on many farms.
Market watchers noted recent rallies across grains and oilseeds as weather and demand signals converge. Dan Hueber of The Hueber Report pointed to wheat gains tied to Southern Plains dryness, corn trading up on firm ethanol demand and soybean oil strength driven by renewable-fuel use. Meal weakness has held back soybean futures, but Hueber said current price levels offer clear hedging opportunities for producers. Corn near $5
Markets and fertilizer
Josh Linville, vice president of Fertilizer at StoneX, said U.S. fertilizer supplies remain adequate despite disruptions tied to the Iran conflict and regional shipping challenges. Linville advised growers to contact suppliers early about fall needs and to adjust price expectations, noting impacts from the strait closure are likely to persist through spring 2027. Strait closure impacts 2027
On policy, Farm Progress Policy Editor Josh Baethge described deep divisions over E15 sales, pesticide liability protections and Proposition 12-style provisions that are complicating House farm bill talks. Sources Baethge cited indicate the current House version faces significant hurdles in the Senate, leaving the farm bill's path uncertain as negotiators seek compromises on those contentious issues.
Equipment and maintenance remain front-of-mind as planting presses on. Matt Shepheard, John Deere service marketing manager, urged proactive dealer inspections and recommended the new Operation Center Pro Service tool, which gives access to manuals, trouble codes and an AI assistant for a subscription fee of $195 per machine. Classic-equipment stories also surfaced: Max Jones of Prophetstown, Illinois, still runs a 1969 John Deere 2520 for planting, cultivation and auger duty, underscoring how operators mix new tech and proven machines.
Fieldwork and stewardship
Growers in Northern Illinois reported steady planting progress while experimenting with starter fertilizer rates and strip-till to reduce passes and address labor limits, according to Matt Foes and Chad Colby. BASF technical field representative Nick Tinsely stressed the Be Sure campaign's stewardship message in its seventh year, urging strict adherence to neonicotinoid label directions and pollinator-protection practices during the busy spring planting window. The combination of active weather, shifting market signals and stewardship obligations will shape field decisions for the rest of the planting season.
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