Soybean planting sprints along at fastest pace since 1988
April 29, 2026
By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Corn, rice, soybeans, cotton, peanuts all ahead of 5-year average pace
- Dry weather helped during planting window
(639 words)
JONESBORO, Ark. — Dry weather at the start of the row crop growing season has sped planting of the state’s five major crops, with soybeans going in the ground at the fastest pace since 1988.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that as of Sunday:
- Corn was 91 percent planted vs. the 69 percent five-year average.
- Rice was 79 percent planted vs. the 54 percent five-year average
- Soybeans were 61 percent planted vs. the 35 percent five-year average
- Cotton was 17 percent planted vs. the 6 percent five-year average
- Peanuts were 17 percent planted vs. the 6 percent five-year average.
“In records back to 1988, this year is the fastest soybean planting pace,” Scott Stiles, extension economics program associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, said on Tuesday.
Arkansas has been very dry through the start of the growing season, having suffered a deepening drought since August 2025. However, the state has seen rain falling from Friday to Tuesday.
Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said Tuesday he’s heard that many soybean growers are “getting close to being done planting.”
“This rain was very much needed. After this rain event, it looks like we will be dry again for a few days. This could be the quickest planting we have seen for all commodities ever.
“Other than some erratic emerging, we’ve seen no major issues yet,” Ross said. “We will just have to wait and see what pest pressure will be later in the year.”
“No surprises on the rice side,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the Division of Agriculture. “The dry weather up to this point, combined with a massive reduction in acres, set us up for a rapid planting pace. Depending on how long this rainy window lasts, there won’t be much rice left to be planted in the state from here on out.”
Zachary Treadway, cotton extension agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said he wasn’t surprised about cotton either.
“We had an early warm-up and a prolonged period of dry weather that allowed producers to get in the field and stay in the field for days at a time,” he said. “We have been slowed recently by rain, but I do not think we will be on the sidelines for long, as dry fields soak up moisture rapidly.
“Peanut planting progress is in the same boat, as dry weather has allowed producers to keep planters rolling statewide,” Treadway said.
Stiles said, “we're still in the ‘Delta Sweet Spot’ for cotton: April 25 to May 15.”
“This rain was a Godsend and will have the crop off to a better start when planting does resume,” he said. “With lows in the 40s coming up this weekend, the best place for cotton seed is in the sack. Cotton is always looking for an excuse to get the croup.”
"The drastic increase in cotton prices is making that 470,000 acres look like less and less of a pipe dream,” Treadway said, referring to the acreage in the March “Prospective Plantings” report from USDA.
“Overall, across the state, crop stands look excellent, and we are off to one of the best starts we have had in many years,” said Jason Kelley, extension wheat and feed grains agronomist for the Division of Agriculture.
However, the lack of rain did have a downside.
“We had many areas where producers stopped planting due to a lack of soil moisture prior to the recent rain events, which is rare for April,” Kelley said. “We do have some fields that have uneven emergence due to dry conditions at planting and now have areas of fields with late-emerging plants after the recent rains.”
“We also had some corn that struggled with the March 17 freeze event in south Arkansas, where some corn had to be replanted, while other fields survived the freeze but saw growth slowed considerably,” he said.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land-grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Nick Kordsmeier
Nkordsme@uada.edu