Soggy soil slows corn planting in Illinois
Soggy soil dramatically slowing Illinois corn plantings
BRIMFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Pounding rains and flooding this spring have Illinois farmers sharply behind in getting their corn planted.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says just 1 percent of this year's expected Illinois corn crop has been planted so far. That's down from the 24 percent that's already in the ground at this time in a typical year. Last year at about this time 56 percent of the state's corn was planted.
In Peoria County, Rob Asbell is waiting. Given the wet spring, the grower hasn't been able to do anything other than spray herbicide on 1,000 acres of the 3,000 acres his farm is committing to corn.
He's unsure when they'll get to actually plant corn — a job that by this time last year was already done.
