May 10, 2011
Iowa corn planting closes in despite a slow start
Despite beginning slow, Iowa farmers have caught up in their corn planting, with several reporting they have completed and have started soy planting.
"We have finished the corn and are getting started on soy," said Brian Larson, whose Sunderman Farm Management manages farms in northwest and north central Iowa.
Larson said he visited a seed dealership in Humboldt Monday morning and it was like Grand Central Station, with all the farmers getting their soy seeds as they have finished their corn.
Ray Gaesser, who farms near Creston, said several days of 20-hour schedules finished his planting and on Monday, he had 85% of his soy in.
Gaesser noted that that the modern, 24-row planters can get the crop in the ground more quickly. He said the 24-row planter can do up to 500 acres in a day.
"It is a lot faster than ten years ago," Gaesser said.
The USDA will report on crop progress and expectations hold for a big increase in corn plantings from the 8% completion in last week's report.
The corn planting had been one of the latest on record because of the cold, wet temperatures but the dry, warm conditions late last week and through the weekend helped farmers catch up.
Agriculture markets had worried about the slow planting and the impact on this year's crop. Due to low domestic corn stocks, more pressure is on farmers to produce a bumper crop to ward off shortages that could drive up livestock costs and hamper ethanol production.
In eastern Iowa, Rick Juchems, who farms in Butler County, said he also finished with corn planting on about 450 acres and does not anticipate a yield decline because of the planting date.
"I figure if I have my corn in by May 10, my yields will be all right, unless something else happens later in the year," Juchems said.
In northwest Iowa, Neal Heldt said most of his corn now is in on his farm near Mallard.
"It rained a little this morning, but the ground had dried out enough so I could get into the field," Heldt said.
