Keokuk, IA – Bob Dodds with the Iowa State University Extension Office says Lee County is quite a bit behind, compared to northern counties, when it comes to planting corn. He says at least 6" of rain fell in recent weeks.
Dodds says planting usually gets underway around April 20 and runs through May. He says, at this point, the soil in Lee County is so wet that field preparation can not even take place.
Dodds says farmers should be able to get into the fields if the rain can hold off for 3-4 days. He says that if the planting season stretches into June, corn yields could be hurt.
Dodds says soybeans are not being affected because they are not planted until later this summer. He says Lee County's alfalfa and hay crops are doing really well, despite concerns over a winter freeze.
Dodds says there are some fields in Lee County (along the Des Moines River) that will not be planted this year because of damage caused by last summer's flooding. He says sand deposits and soil damage led to the abandonment of planting this year.