Planting Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders – Thurs., May 9, 2013

Rain fell across parts of Iowa on Wednesday and spotty showers continue today, which is further delaying planting progress. Kevin Rempp, chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board who raises corn and soybeans near Montezuma in Poweshiek County, hasn’t had the chance to start planting corn yet.

“We received about three inches of moisture last week from the rain, sleet and snow that fell,” Rempp says. “Even without the rain this week, it would have probably been end of this week or the weekend before we would get back into the field. Now, depending on what we receive, it could be the beginning of next week before we get into the fields.”

“We’re hoping to hit it hard next week. If we can’t get it planted next week, then we’ll have to start making some other decisions about what we’re planting. Hopefully we won’t have to worry about that,” he says.

Jim Greif of Monticello says he has not planted any corn yet but some area farmers were planting before rain arrived in the eastern part of the state as well.

“Anhydrous had been going on and a few planters were running,” Greif says. “We’re expected to get one-third of an inch of rain.”

He, too, is hoping for a longer window of warm, dry conditions so that corn planting can get underway.