Spring planting moving ahead

With Iowa’s spring planting season well underway, some crops are already starting to sprout. I-S-U Extension crop specialist George Cummins says the crops that have been planted so far are looking pretty healthy.He says alfalfa and oat crops are looking good while early-planted corn has started to sprout and the soybeans that have been planted are about ready to poke through the ground. Cummins says Iowa farmers still have a lot of planting to do in the coming weeks. It’s varied — some farmers have most of their corn planted while some have barely started. Soybean crops for the most part have not been planted as of yet. Cummins says the rain that has fallen over much of the state during the past two weeks has definitely helped the situation. Even with recent rains, many fields are a bit on the dry side, which means farmers could have a problem with erosion. Cummins says Iowa averages more than three-and-a-half inches of rain during April. Most parts of the state got well over four inches, but he says still more rain is needed to get the fields into excellent shape.