Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
06-05-07
Northeast Iowa farmers better off than others in the state
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer
JESUP --- Continued wet weather is keeping planters and balers hitched to
tractors, as farmers patiently wait to finish getting seed in the ground and harvest
the first crop of hay.
Many parts of Northeast Iowa received 2 inches or more of rain last week. Crop
experts said it will be at least another week before fields to dry enough to cut and
bale hay and plant the few remaining corn and soybeans fields.
Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report indicated
the northeast part of Iowa is better off than the rest of the state when it comes to
getting field work done. Only 1 percent of the area's soybeans still need to be
planted compared to 7 percent statewide. Fifty-eight percent of the hay and
alfalfa crop is baled locally, compared to 15 percent statewide.
Even though the report indicates Iowa's corn is planted, Dean Hamblin of rural
Jesup still has some acres to go. Since the corn will eventually be chopped, he's
not worried about the severe yield penalty for planting late, which would occur if
harvested for grain.
Hamblin is more worried about his hay that's ready to be cut. The longer it
stands, the more likely the last cutting won't be as bountiful or the nutrient-rich
leaves could be stripped by bad weather.
"I have a lot of hay I would like to cut, but we can't do that with the forecast the
way it is. We'll have to wait a week, water is sitting every place," said Hamblin, a
grain and cattle producer. "We needed some moisture, bit it can quit for a while."
The National Weather Service in Des Moines said there's a 30 percent chance of
thunderstorms for the Waterloo area during the day on Wednesday, increasing to
50 percent at night. On Thursday, the chance for thunderstorms is 40 percent.
The report said some fields statewide are showing signs of stress from excess
moisture with yellow corn and shallow root systems. An estimated 5 percent of
the corn has been or will be replanted, the report said.
Wind and rain are keeping sprayers out of the fields, which are developing weed
problems.
Ninety-three percent of the state's corn is emerged, which is slightly behind
normal. The crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 17 percent fair, 58
percent good and 21 percent excellent.
Insect pressure to date is light to nonexistent. Brian Lang, Iowa State
University Extension crop specialist based in Decorah, said farmers still
need to watch out for corn flea beetles and hop vine borers. Though infrequent
and spotty pests, they still can cause damage.
"The mild temperatures of most of last winter suggest potential problems with
corn flea beetles attacking seedling corn further north than normal, but the two
sharp cold spells may have done a good job of killing them. However, monitor
corn for this pest from emergence through V5 as you watch for black cutworm,"
Lang said in Crop Notes, a weekly crop update to farmers and crop
professionals.
Iowa's soybean crop is 73 percent emerged and fairing slightly better than corn.
The crop is rated zero very poor, 3 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 60 percent good
and 16 percent excellent.