Warm weather means early planting for area farmers

    Mother Nature has been very kind to area farmers this spring. The unseasonably high temperatures in late March and early April have allowed farmers to get into the fields much earlier than normal. Iowa State University farm management specialist Jim Jensen said that the farmers truly appreciate the nice spring weather, especially coming after a rough fall.

    ?The fall was so wet that farmers weren?t able to apply as much anhydrous ammonia as they normally do,? said Jensen. ?The majority of fertilizer is usually applied in the fall, but this year farmers put more of it on in the spring.?

    Jensen said that corn and beans are ordinarily planted in late April, but this year many farmers are already done planting corn. He said that corn is usually planted a little sooner than beans because it can recover more easily from a frost. He said that a corn?s growing point remains below ground until the plant has grown to be six inches above ground. A soybean?s growing point, on the other hand, is above ground shortly after being planted, and its roots are shallower than corn roots.

    Iowa State University agronomist Jim Fawcett said that the last frost of the year is typically around April 30. He said that if corn is several inches tall when a frost hits, it can survive it while beans usually cannot.

    ?If it?s warm, beans can be up within a week after being planted, and that?s when they?re vulnerable to being killed in a frost,? said Fawcett. 

    Jensen said that the advantage of planting early is that yields are typically higher. He said some farmers are waiting to plant because they?re afraid of a frost and because of financial incentives from the federal government. April 11 was the first day a farmer could plant corn and be eligible for federal crop insurance for replanting. The first day that crop insurance for replanting can be used on soybean fields was Wednesday.  

    Fawcett said that the weather has been ideal for planting. The only concern he has is that because the soil is so warm and fluffy, the seeds that are planted now may reach the surface after the soil settles.

    ?If the soil settles after planting, the roots of the plant come close to the surface and dry out. That?s not good for the plant,? said Fawcett.

For the full story, see the April 23 edition of The Washington Evening Journal