This year’s wet spring could leave many farmers’ wallets dry this

fall.

Considering the rainy spring and the hot, dry summer, it’s been

said that if someone doesn’t like Iowa’s weather, they should wait

15 minutes.

But 15 minutes of unfavorable weather could be long enough to

affect Iowa’s farming economy, as demonstrated between the crop

harvests of 2000 and 2001.

Dale Farnham, assistant professor of agronomy, said last year’s

dry spring allowed farmers to plant crops earlier than usual while

this spring’s planting was delayed.

“The growing season in Iowa is spring frost to fall frost, typically

about 140 days,” Farnham said.

“Soybeans mature in about 90 days. Corn matures in

approximately 110.”

Last year, by the end of the first week of May, half the soybean crop

was planted. In 2001, less than 10 percent was planted, he

said.

This year there were a half million acres of corn ground that was

not planted in 2001 because it was too rainy, Farnham said.

This year, the interim for corn has come in at 35 days, which

creates a potential yield reduction of 10 percent, said Elwynn

Taylor, professor of agronomy. The U.S. total reflects this as well,

with a 642 million bushel deficit in 2001 compared to a nearly

10-billion bushel 2000 harvest.

Soybeans, in spite of reaching the 50 percent planted mark in the

third week in May, have a projected harvest of 98 million bushels

ahead of 2000, he said.

Projected harvests are down in 2001, with June 2001 corn prices

averaging $1.58 a bushel as contrasted against a $1.72 per

bushel price the same time last year, Farnham said.

At June prices, the 2001 harvest is worth $2.56 billion. In

comparison, the 2000 harvest was worth $2.99 billion.