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North Iowa farmer says crops are behind

A north central Iowa farmer says crop development is behind.

Chris Edgington of Saint Ansgar tells Brownfield he didn’t begin planting until May 5th.

“Crop conditions aren’t as good, we definitely needed this heat (and) don’t need a ton of rain.  But we definitely needed the heat to make up.”

USDA’s latest weekly crop update says there are scattered reports of corn silking across the state, with 83 percent of the crop rated in good to excellent condition.

Soybeans are 13 percent blooming, five days ahead of both last year and the five-year average.  Seventy-seven percent of soybeans statewide are called good to excellent.

Edgington tells Brownfield he’s not quite finished side-dressing nitrogen.

“I’m going to have to do a different method.  It’s a field that we had put tile in this spring that’s going to be a challenge, so we’re going to figure out a different way to get some extra nitrogen over the top on that one.”

USDA says Iowa farmers are also cutting hay and spraying.