Crop Updates from Iowa Corn Leaders - Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Roger Zylstra of Lynnville is president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA). He says some farmers in central Iowa are applying anhydrous ammonia this week. A few farmers around Jasper County were applying anhydrous last week but even more farmers have started now that the temperatures are getting warmer.  One neighbor has planted oats. Many farmers in his area have been busy repairing waterways and gullies in the fields that resulted after the heavy rains last year. He expects that farmers will be planting corn next week if the warm weather continues.

In southwest Iowa, Carl Jardon of Randolph is an ICGA director in Fremont County. He finished putting on anhydrous today and most farmers in his area are done applying anhydrous.  He expects that many farmers in his area will be planting this week, but he usually waits to plant until April 20.  As far as planting intentions, he believes farmers in his area will stay with their usual corn and soybean rotations.

Bob Bowman of DeWitt in Clinton County is president of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB). He has been getting equipment ready for planting season. He and his son are no-till and strip-till farmers and the soils are still cold. He has seen anhydrous being applied on only a couple farms in his area in fields where fall tillage had been done. The fields with residue are still cold.

In northeast Iowa, Nick Leibold of New Hampton, who is an ICPB director, says there hasn’t been much activity in his part of the state. There is still snow on the ground in some areas. It will be a while before any tillage work starts in the area. There hasn’t been anhydrous applied yet. Some of the livestock farmers have been spreading manure. There is snow in the forecast for this weekend so that might slow things up some more.