No Progress

A year ago we had all of our anhydrous ammonia applied to our corn ground and we had been planting corn for four days straight already. 

Planting corn spring 2012

Well, this isn't the case this year. 

 

What a difference a year can make!  Here is the same field as of this morning.  We have not been able to start our anhydrous application yet so needless to say we haven't started planting yet. 

 

We like to plant corn when the soil conditions are ideal and the soil temperature is pushing 50 F.  But the ground is so saturated that I haven't made an attempt to even slop my way out into the field to take a temp reading.  But considering we have skiffs of snow on the ground yesterday morning I don't think the soil temps are much above 40F. 

 

This is an intake pipe that

we use to help remove excess water from one of our fields.  This intake pipe is attached to a tile line about six feet under ground.  Tile used in conjunction with terraces is a great soil conservation practice as this tool helps hold and slowing release water from a slope.  Otherwise gravity will wash soil away with fast moving water.  But this week this intake pipe is working as a pressure release valve as the tile lines are full of water.  So, we now have a Roman water fountain!



 

There is always a silver lining to situations like this.  The soils in much of Iowa had been depleted last year due to the drought so the subsoils are being recharged for the 2013 growing season.  We have been able to calibrated and real calibrate monitors and computers used in the anhydrous applicator tractor, the corn planter tractors, the soil finisher tractor, the Hagie sprayer and a few other monitors that I'm not sure we will even be using this spring.  Plus, we have been able to do inventory checks on pretty much all of the seed in the warehouse.  I have also been keeping up on laundry and book work because once spring does break there will only be time for spring planting responsibilities.

 

 

Things are a little more tolerable considering that this delayed spring is effecting the entire Midwest.  Misery loves company you could say.  But knowing that we aren't the only ones dealing with this weather does make the situation easier to handle. 

 

So, what are you doing with your rainy, cold, wet days?