Rainy season hampers US corn planting

With acres left to plant, US farmers are making tough decisions to either push through with corn seeding or switching with other crops some fields intended for corn.

"It has just been a real challenging year," said Bob Dodds, the regional director for ISU Extension. "The last three years has tried the patience of farmers."

The majority of corn and beans has been planted in Des Moines, Henry, Lee and Louisa counties.

Since nitrogen and herbicide were not applied, some fields have already been switched to beans. Some farmers are taking the risk of planting corn past the typical deadline of June 10 with the intention of harvesting it as silage if it doesn't appear to be producing a good enough yield as a crop.

''Other crops could be planted up to June 20 and possibly to the end of the month with hopes the weather will be decent in the fall. We are going to see some acres that don't get planted because time is running out," said Dodds.

Dodds strongly suggested that farmers should be talking to their crop insurance people.

"We have had a boatload of replants," said Terry Belzer, crop specialist for Farm Bureau Financial Services in Burlington. He sells crop insurance policies to farmers in Des Moines, Henry, Lee, Louisa and Van Buren counties.

"There's going to be a lot of acres not planted," Belzer said.