Planting Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders – Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Rain has halted planting progress by Bruce Rohwer of Paullina, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Rohwer says planting is at all stages in northwest Iowa and he still has some corn acres left to plant. Some farmers also have corn left to plant, while others are planting soybeans or even finished planting soybeans.

“At the end of last week we had three-quarters of an inch of rain and over the weekend we had three-tenths of an inch of rain,” Rohwer says. “The ground was just getting dry enough to go back in and then we had lightening and some storms the other night and received another three-tenths of rain which has prevented us from getting much done.”

Rohwer is hoping for a few dry days so he can finish corn but the forecast for this week doesn’t look great.

“The weather is being obstinate with us this year,” Rohwer says.

Don Hunerdosse was moving cows to the pasture this morning near Milo. Corn planting is nearly completed in his area. He is 90 percent finished with corn planting and has 40 percent of his soybeans planted.

“I would estimate that soybean planting is about 70 percent complete in this area,” Hunderdosse says.

Rainfall was spotty from the recent storms on Sunday and Monday. It ranged from one-half-inch to about one-inch and a half in some areas of south-central Iowa.

“We hope to be back in the fields later today,” he says.