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Planting likely ahead of USDA estimate for north Iowa

Corn planting might be further along than USDA estimates in at least one region of the Midwest.

Iowa State University Extension agronomist Angie Rieck-Hinz says USDA lists progress at 15 percent for the North Central Iowa reporting district.

“I have a hard time believing that, I think it’s probably a little higher than that. The northern part of Iowa, it’s probably closer to maybe 20 percent. As you come south, it’s probably a lot higher than that.”

In fact, she tells Brownfield some farmers in the area are finished with corn planting.

“There are a lot of people that are done planting corn and have some beans in the ground as well, so I think those (USDA) numbers are off a little bit. But statewide (corn planting) is about 18 percent.”

Rieck-Hinz says it might be a week or more before farmers in north Iowa can resume planting because of forecasted rains.