Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFederal officials say the latest slew of spring rainstorms has kept Indiana farmers from planting enough corn to maximize their yield.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports only 2 percent of Indiana's corn crop had been planted by last week, compared with a five-year average of 15 percent.
Purdue Extension corn specialist Bob Nielsen says corn grain yield potential declines with delayed planting after May 1. A Purdue University news release Tuesday said the optimal time period to plant corn for a maximum yield is April 20 through May 10.
Nielson said it's not wise for farmers to begin planting in soggy soils to beat the cutoff point. He added that most growers have machinery capacity to catch up quickly once the soil conditions become more favorable.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.