Wet weather in Iowa causes more delay planting corn, soybeans

Another week of rainfall kept Iowa  farmers out of their fields, further delaying the planting of this year's corn and soybean crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Many fields were too wet to enter with machinery, runoff caused erosion in recently tilled fields and standing water in some fields may damage crops. Statewide, there was less than a day suitable for field work during the week that ended on Sunday.

East central Iowa was the only area of the state with a full day suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA.

The statewide average precipitation was 3.21 inches or about triple the weekly normal of 1.08 inches. It was the wettest reporting week since July 2010.

The rainfall pushed the statewide average precipitation totals to record highs for May, the spring season and the year to date.

Producers were only able to plant an additional 3 percent of the corn crop during the period. Corn planting stands at 88 percent complete, behind the five-year average of 99 percent.

Seventy-three percent of the corn crop has emerged, well behind last year's 98 percent and the normal 91 percent.

The USDA issued its first corn condition rating of the year, showing the crop at 3 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 48 percent good and 9 percent excellent.

Forty-four percent of the soybean crop was in the ground, far behind last year's 99 percent and the five-year average of 91 percent. Twenty-three percent of the soybean crop has emerged, the lowest emergence at this time of the year since 1996.

Topsoil moisture levels rated zero percent very short, zero percent short, 43 percent adequate and 57 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 57 percent adequate and 38 percent surplus.

Pasture and range conditions continued to improve, rating 1 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 42 percent good and 21 percent excellent.

At the hay markets in Eastern Iowa, buyers and sellers are concerned that the slow growth of alfalfa and the impact of the rainfall will affect the amount and quality of the new crop.

At the Fort Atkinson Hay Auction, about two-thirds of the hay sold Wednesday for more than $300 per ton. Most of the consignors are down to the last load or two of old crop alfalfa, while the buyers are trying to get new crop.

Most buyers and consignors are not expecting to see a large drop in hay prices over the next few weeks.