No relief for flooded crops, more rains coming

CHICAGO (Reuters) - More rains pummeled parts of the U.S. Midwest crop belt in the past day, offering no relief to flooded crop fields or swollen rivers after days of storms, a forecaster said Friday.

Up to 2 inches of rain fell in eastern Iowa on Thursday and an inch in northern Missouri. Rains in the eastern Midwest favored southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois where 0.3 to 2.5 inches fell.

"There seems to be more concern about farmers not being able to finish soybean planting as it's getting late," said Mike Palmerino, forecaster with DTN Meteorlogix.

"There's also corn acreage that will not get planted and won't get replanted," he said.

Roughly 17 million acres of soybeans have yet to be planted as of Sunday, based on the government's weekly crop progress report. This week's rains offered little opportunity for farmers to finish planting.

This is especially worrisome for U.S. farmers because they were counting on big corn and soybean crops to meet the world's demand for grains for food and feedstocks to produce biofuels.

More rains will move through the Midwest over the next week.

Central Missouri was forecast to get 0.25 to 1.0 inch of rain, locally heavier, on Friday. In the eastern belt, rains of 0.5 to 2.5 inches were forecast, with the central to southern portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio getting the most.

Moderate to heavy showers return on Sunday. From 0.25 to 1.0 inch, locally heavier, were forecast for the western belt for Sunday. The east should see similar amounts Sunday to Monday, Palmerino said.

Additional rains of 0.25 to 1.5 inch, locally heavier, were expected for Tuesday to Wednesday.

Temperatures will be below normal, with highs in mid-70s to mid-80s degrees Fahrenheit the next seven days in the western Corn Belt.

The eastern Midwest will be warmer through Sunday as highs reach the upper 70s to mid-80s. Then it will turn cooler, with highs in the mid-70s to low 80s through Thursday.

"The cool temperatures continue to slow crop development and emergence," Palmerino said.

The Meteorlogix six- to 10-day Midwest outlook, Wednesday to Sunday, called for normal to below-normal temperatures and normal to above-normal rainfall.

(Reporting by Christine Stebbins; Editing by John Picinich)