Cooler temps and much needed rainfall has halted corn planting throughout southern Minnesota, but this moisture will help set up a great seed bed for our corn and soybean acres. Unseasonably warm March temperatures set a lot of areas up for earlier-than-normal planting dates, but many farmers in this area have chosen to wait until April 20-25 this year. Too many of them have memories of the snowfall and 24-degree temperatures we experienced from May 8-10, 2010.

As we all get closer to hitting planting hard, please remember that optimal corn planting depth is 2 inches and keep your soybean depth at 1.5 inches. Stop and check fields often during planting to insure seeding rate and depth is accurate. And most of all, be safe this planting season!