The good news for farmers is that mainly dry conditions will continue into next week, despite the chance of rain and thunderstorms, according to Andrew Snyder, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Wilmington.
“Due to the scattered nature (of the rain and storms today and Friday), it’s possible some people may not see anything at all. However, with heavier storms, there could be up to half an inch (of rain),” Snyder said.
Nearly 19 inches of rain in the area since March 1 had left field conditions unsuitable for most of the planting season, putting farmers four weeks behind the ideal corn planting date of May 10.
As planting season progresses, harvest yields decline under normal growing conditions, translating to lower profits for farmers.
Across Ohio, there have been only nine days of suitable planting conditions since April 1, compared to the normal 30 days, according to Andy Ware, communications director for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Staff at the Ohio State University Extension’s Western Outlying Agricultural Research Station near South Charleston were taking advantage of drying field conditions Tuesday. “We did a little bit of work yesterday, but today is probably our first big day of spring planting,” Watters said Tuesday.
Watters, who works out of the OSU Extension-Champaign County office, didn’t see much planting activity in Champaign County on his way to the research station. “Another day or half day and (farmers will) be rolling like crazy.”
On acreage that remains too wet to plant, farmers who planned for corn may need to decide whether to plant late and risk lower yields, file a claim with their crop insurance agent or plant the less profitable soybean in its place.
Crop insurance values decline by one percent per day after June 5, according to Jon Berry, a Mechanicsburg crop insurance agent and Pioneer seed corn and bean seller.
Berry said some of his clients in Champaign and Clark counties won’t be able start planting until next Friday, he said.
Across the state, only 19 percent of Ohio’s corn crop had been planted as of Sunday, 74 percent behind this time last year, according to the most recent Crop Report published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture on Wednesday encouraged motorists to be aware of increased numbers of tractors and farm equipment on state roadways, and asked farmers likewise to put safety as their top priority.
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