Cool weather causes problems for Iowa crops

Cool weather’s causing problems with one of Iowa’s top crops. The State Agriculture Department’s weekly report on crop progress shows soybean planting is ahead of schedule — with 84-percent planted compared to the average of 76-percent for this time of year. There’s a problem, though, with those beans already in the ground; the cold weather has kept them from sprouting. The report says a nearly average 76-percent of the corn plants have popped out of the ground, continuing to grow despite the cold. Some farmers in northern Iowa have had to re-plant their corn due to poor emergence. Both corn and soybean farmers are reporting some problems with rootworms and bean leaf beetles.