The cool and wet weather has delayed planting in the state. The U-S-D-A crop report shows nine percent of corn has been planted. That is 11 days behind last year and nine days behind the five-year average. Four percent of soybeans are in the ground — which is nine days behind last year and five days behind average. State climatologist Justin Glisan (Gliss-en), says there’s no short-term indication the cool, wet weather is going to end.
Planting last year moved ahead quickly in part because it was a lot drier, and the dry conditions got worse as the year moved on. Western Iowa has been the driest area of the state and the crop report showed farmers in the western one-third of Iowa had almost four days suitable for fieldwork and made more planting progress than any other area of the state.