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Rain stalls soybean planting progress

A one-day planting window last week allowed western Indiana farmer Kevin Cox to wrap up corn planting.

But, he says soybean planting is a different story because of untimely rains.

“We’ve still got probably 75 percent of our soybeans yet to plant, which in the grand scheme of things with the equipment we have today we could get that planted in four good days with both planters running,” he says. “We just can’t get more than maybe a day a week in the fields it seems like.”  

Cox tells Brownfield the clock is ticking.

“It’s challenging right now because the calendar is ticking away every day. We have one more week and then it’s going to be June and the potential for a really good crop is dramatically lessened as this calendar keeps ticking away on us,” he says. “…We plant in less-than-ideal conditions because we get anxious and want to get this crop in the ground, well if this weather stays and we keep getting rain every couple of days that will cover up a multitude of sins. But, if it stops and we planted in less-than-ideal conditions then we’re going to pay for that on the other end. We’re getting to a point now where you can’t afford to make a mistake at this stage in the game. Whenever you get to June, you have one shot. We’re rapidly running out of spring and heading into summer.”   

He says the crop that is planted looks good.

“The soybeans we’ve got in the ground are coming up and looking good and the corn is starting to take off with the temperatures we have,” he says. “I’m very comfortable with the crop that we have in the ground.”  

Cox raises corn and soybeans in Clay and Parke counties.