Last week brought perfect corn planting weather
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:26 AM
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SHELL ROCK, Iowa —Throughout Iowa corn planting progressed at a record pace last week.
Clay Reints and his father, Jeff, started planting corn April 13. Last Wednesday, he estimated that they were 75 percent finished as he custom planted a field southwest of Shell Rock.
"Conditions are right, so we're planting," he said. "Everyone thought with all the snow we had, it would be the end of April before we got started. I bought a farm by Packard, and we were able to get in and tile the beginning of March. I couldn't believe we could get in the field that quick. It's been a good spring so far."
Reints and his father strip-till and put on their phosphorus, potassium and a little nitrogen and then plant. Other than the narrow strips that they plant into, all the residue from last year's crop remains on the field.
On a typical day, Reints plants from sunrise until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. if the weather allows. He has a light bar to help at night. A computer screen in the tractor cab provides him with information on the field as he plants.
In addition to their own acres, Reints and his father also custom farm.
Reints said with their Case planter, he can plant 125 acres before he has to refill it with seed. But since Jeff is an Asgrow and Dekalb seed dealer, they plant a lot of different hybrids so Reints doesn't often get by with filling the planter just two times in a day.
Last week, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said corn planting was progressing at the fastest pace since 2004.