TOO MUCH WATER, TOO LITTLE RAIN FOR FARMERS

On one side of an earthen levee, a sea of unwanted water covers hundreds of acres of farmland; on the other side, machines pump water into the furrows of a field, providing much-needed moisture to a corn crop.

"This is a typical scene in southern Cape Girardeau County and northern Scott County," said Terry Birk of the Cape County Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service office at Jackson.

Farmers need rain, especially in cornfields, now, said Birk and Darin Gant of the Scott County Soil Conservation Service office at Benton.

"Corn is just starting to tassel in many areas," said Gant. "Right now the corn needs water."

The Missouri ASCS reported that about 9 percent of corn is tasseling, which is behind the five-year average of 29 percent for this time of year. Statewide, the corn that is planted is rated at about 46 percent good and 47 percent fair.

"We need rain," echoed Southern Illinois farmer William E. Colyer. "But we don't need any more water."

"With the Mississippi River moving toward historic proportions, and seepwater covering much of the farmland in Alexander County, we don't need water," he said. "But, for farmers who have been fortunate enough to get crops in the ground, they need rain."

The U.S. Agriculture Department has estimated that flooding conditions along the Mississippi River will cut corn production by as much as 650 million bushels this year; soybeans by 70 million bushels. But, at the same time, not enough water can be just as damaging to late plantings now out of the ground, say agriculture experts.

This is a situation facing most farmers in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.

Birk agreed: "This is a critical period for corn. Soybeans are also at the point of needing rain. Many farmers were late in planting soybeans, and they're just now coming up. They need rain."

Farmers in Scott County and in some Cape County areas are irrigating.

"It's ironic," said Gant. "In the Commerce area, we lost as much as 7,000 acres of cropland much of it planted when the Big Island levee broke, but nearby, irrigation systems are pumping needed water between the corn row furrows."

Farmers use two types of irrigations systems furrow irrigation and center-pivot (sprinkling).

"The furrow system is good in some fields," said Gant. "But the fields have to be level or have some grade for the water to run between the furrows."

The sprinkler system, meanwhile, sprays over the field and can be moved throughout the field on wheels.

"Even with irrigation, farmers need some rain," said Gant, who pointed out that some areas of the Bootheel received showers Monday. "Overall, most crops that have been planted are doing well in Scott County," he said.

In Cape County about 15,000 acres of farmland is under water.

"Of that, about 5,000 acres had already been planted with corn and about 5,500 acres had been planted with soybeans," said Birk, who added that existing crops in the county are varied.

"Our corn crops will vary in height as much as 2 feet in the same field," he said. "Some corn was stunted by excess rain in May, and several fields have uneven stands."

More than a third of the available cropland is under water in Alexander County.

"We have more than 20,000 acres of farmland under water in Alexander County," said Jess Cushman, director of the ASCS office in Alexander and Pulaski counties. "And, like many others, we face the situation of needing rain for the crops that have been planted."

In a report issued Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's World Agricultural Outlook Board said corn production would be about 7.85 billion bushels this year, compared with an 8.5 billion projection last month and a record 9.5 billion in 1992. The board projected prices to increase 15 cents a bushel, to range from $2 to $2.40.

The board said soybean production should reach 1.98 billion bushels, a 70-million-bushel drop from last month's estimate of 2.05 billion. The 1992 production was estimated at 2.2 billion. Soybeans should range from $5.75 to $7 a bushel, compared with a $5.50 average for this last crop year.