Preparation for planting

By SCOTT NILES Courier staff writer

March 15, 2007 10:37 pm

— OTTUMWA — Southern Iowa farmers will soon be putting in 14- to 16-hour days as planting season draws near.
It’s that time of year when the seed is purchased and the machinery is repaired.
Now, they wait for the weather to cooperate. The soil has to be warm enough to plant.
While they are waiting, there are other pre-planting preparations they can do.
Keokuk County Extension Director Gary Bickmeier said farmers are not able to just go out and plant whenever they want. If that were the case, he said, most farmers would probably already have their seed in the ground.
Before they get the tractor out to the field though, they need to check machinery, soil conditions and make sure they have all materials they will need.
It’s not a simple task.
Wapello/Keokuk County farmer Rod Sieren said there is somewhat of a science to planting and numerous factors that need to be considered.
One of the most important is soil temperatures.
Bickmeier said the ideal soil temperature for corn and soybeans is at least 60 degrees or above.
“There are some new seed treatments that allow farmers to get their seed planted earlier, but I don’t really know how many farmers use that,” he said.
Dave Klein, who farms in Keokuk County, said most farmers will go out in their fields with a regular thermometer and check the temperature in several areas for several days.
In a reading done on Thursday afternoon, ground temperature showed to be about 40 plus degrees on the outer portion of Sieren’s field.
In order to get an accurate reading, the thermometer should be placed no more than two inches below the soil.
“You do two inches because that is how deep you usually plant,” Klein said.
Sieren said that most farmers will wait until the temperatures are where they should be or even a little bit higher. Planting too early can result in a loss of some yields. So can planting too late.
“There is a window period that is ideal for planting corn and soybeans,” he said.
Bickmeier said the prime time for planting corn is between April 15 and May 10.
The window for soybeans is a little bit later, from May 1 to 20.
Klein said typically he has never started planting before April 15.
“I definitely try and have my corn in by May 10 though,” he said.
The time for planting crops depends on several other factors.
Sieren said the weather is a big influence on not only the temperature but the predictions of what conditions are going to be like for most of the crop season.
“If there is an El Niño, we typically have favorable conditions. But if there is a La Niña, the conditions are usually not as good,” he said.
Klein said with unpredictable weather, the window period could change, but farmers can usually tell what conditions will produce the best results.
“It’s not an exact science, but if most of the conditions are favorable then it is probably a good time to plant, he said.
Farmers have plenty to keep them busy in the meantime, Bickmeier said.
“They need to make sure they have all necessary material purchased, fertilizers, seed and their chemicals ... and that all of their equipment works properly,” he said.
In less than a month, most farmers will be hopping back into their tractors.
Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at sjniles@mchsi.com.

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