(Radio Iowa) – An agronomist with the Iowa State University Extension says some eager Iowa farmers may start planting soybeans next week, or even as soon as this weekend. Rebecca Vittetoe, who covers southeast and east-central Iowa, says soil conditions are steadily improving and -may- be ready right now in some areas.
“It’s crazy to think like last Monday we had a blizzard and then last Saturday we were 90 degrees,” Vittetoe says, “so I think people are getting excited and ready for spring.” Many factors have to be considered before launching into the field work, she says, and chief among them is soil conditions.
Vittetoe says, “From a moisture perspective, even though we did just have some snow recently, we still are on the drier side, especially for this time of year.” Depending on the air temperatures this weekend, it’s possible soil temperatures will also be sufficiently warm enough to accommodate planting. The crop insurance early planting date for soybeans in Iowa is April 10th for the southern third, and April 15th for the northern two-thirds of the state.
(Thanks to the Brownfield Ag News)
