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A “yo-yo” type of spring

An agronomist in southern Minnesota says planting delays have created a “yo-yo effect” for many farmers.

Mike Schultz with NK Seeds tells Brownfield wet weather has plagued the Corn Belt this spring.

“You look at a forecast and see rain for the next seven days, then everyone is all gung-ho about putting in prevent plant (and) throwing in the towel on planting corn. But then all of a sudden the forecast would open up, we’d have three, four, five good days of drying. Some good heat coming.”

Add to that a runup in corn prices, and Schultz says a lot of those growers reconsidered.

“And when that happened, everyone wanted to switch maturities to early season corn, anywhere from 86 up to 97-day in my area.”

He says supplies ran short, then the rainy pattern returned.

“And that kind of shut the door on that window. It was just a big yo-yo effect on guys’ emotions.”

Schultz says the last week has been really beneficial for planting, but the improved conditions have come too late for most.