Rainfall limits farmers' progress planting corn, soybean crops

Rainfall continued to limit Iowa farmers getting into their fields to plant corn and soybeans during the week that ended on Sunday.

Fields already saturated from the previous week's rainfall did not dry enough between showers to allow significant planting progress to be made. Statewide there was an average of 1.7 days suitable for fieldwork.

East Central Iowa, with 2.5 days suitable for fieldwork, had the most time available anywhere in the state.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service said Iowa farmers had planted 92 percent of the corn crop as of Sunday, up from 82 percent on June 2, but still below the five-year average of 99 percent.

Corn has emerged on 81 percent of the crop, up from 73 percent the previous week, but below the five-year average of 96 percent. Corn condition was rated 8 percent excellent, 44 percent good, 34 percent fair, 11 percent poor and 3 percent very poor.

Iowa soybean producers also made progress last week, ending the period with 60 percent of the crop planted, compared with 44 percent a week earlier, but still far below the five-year average of 95 percent.

Soybeans have emerged on 39 percent of the crop , up from 23 percent on June 2, but still below the five-year average of 83 percent. Both the planting and emergence for soybeans were the latest since 1993.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 10 percent complete, well behind last year's 96 percent. Many farmers were delaying cutting alfalfa until dry weather to avoid rain damage.

The first hay condition rating of the year found 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 53 percent good and 15 percent excellent.

Pasture and range conditions were rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 45 percent good and 23 percent excellent.