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Rain Slows Planting, but it's Still Close to Average Pace

Dean Borg/IPR file photo

Iowa farmers had only two days suitable for field work during the past week, and grain traders are taking notice by bidding up prices.

The USDA’s Monday afternoon crop update says corn planting – 92% of Iowa’s acreage planted -- is only three days behind last year’s pace.

But cool temperatures and continuing rain are affecting the corn plants.  USDA is rating one-quarter of Iowa’s corn acreage as fair-to-very-poor condition.

“A lot of people have had two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half inches of rain, we have  water standing,” says Iowa State University agronomist Paul Kassel, who monitors 10 northwest Iowa counties from Spencer.  “We’ll have some replant because of that….and we’ve had some hail.  There’ll be some replant because of that.”

The USDA update says 62% of Iowa’s soybean acreage is planted. 

Concern about Iowa corn and soybean crops is rising because Iowa’s economy, including state government, is already adjusting to less revenue from the ag sector.