Iowa farmers, based on their location, are having much different experiences during the early part of this growing season.
Bruce Rohwer is growing corn and soybeans in northwest Iowa’s O’Brien County, where snow delayed planting. Once he could get in his fields, rain interrupted his progress.
“We are completed on planting of corn and beans. It’s just a little bit later than usual, but the weather is doing its best to make up for the calendar,” Rohwer says. While there’s flooding in some areas of northern Iowa from recent torrential downpours, Rohwer is thankful his crops are getting “adequate” rain.
“As a farmer, you always hope it will continue that way throughout the year,” Rohwer said. “But, you’re also a farmer, and you know that Mother Nature can change the hand at any time. We’re looking good at this point.”
Areas of southern Iowa could use some of that rain. Kyle Phillips, who has a 4,000 acre corn and soybean operation near Knoxville, says the dry conditions helped with planting. “We were done planting the earliest in history, we were done the 9th of May,” Phillips said. According to Phillips, the little bit of rain Marion County got over the weekend won’t be enough to keep his crops moving in the right direction.
“We need a lot more rain,” Phillips said. “We have an excellent stand, both corn and soybeans, but we’ve got to have substantial rain to bring this crop home.”
The U.S.D.A. crop report released Monday shows 81% of Iowa’s corn crop in good to excellent condition. Ninety-seven-percent of the corn has emerged. Eighty-nine percent of soybeans have emerged, with 78% of the soybean crop rated in good to excellent condition.