A Crop Progress Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week showed that 28 percent of corn for 2012 has already been planted. That is a steep improvement from 2011, when the measure was 8 percent at the same time.

Kansas corn planting is 32 percent complete, well above the five-year average of 19 percent at this time of year.

The USDA also reported that 11 percent of Kansas corn had already emerged.