By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the second year in a row, Kentucky farmers have endured a wetter than normal spring, but this year the rainfall has come later and has been spread out enough to keep planting at bay and producers facing yield losses.

The wet weather has also brought flooding to many areas of the state, prompting Gov. Steve Beshear to ask the Obama administration to declare much of eastern Kentucky a disaster area. At least 21 counties and six cities have declared a state of emergency.

The wet conditions have not been limited to just Kentucky; they have hampered much of the eastern United States. American Farm Bureau Federation economist Terry Francl said the delay in the Eastern Corn Belt could mean as much as a 2 million-acre drop in corn this year, with cool conditions in main areas causing problems as well.

“Farmers in many of the top corn-producing states are all telling the same story,” Francl said. “This year’s wet and cold spring has significantly delayed planting, and they need warm and dry weather so they can get into the fields and plant their crops. In some parts of the country, soil temperatures are still too low to germinate seed.”

The concern is focused more toward the moisture and if it doesn’t dry up soon, the threat of lost yields could become a reality, according to University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture Grains Crop Specialist Chad Lee.

“In general, we are way behind corn planting across the state to the point now, we are going to start seeing some yield losses just because of the late planting date. We are getting close to that window,” he said. “We’ve also got some cornfields that are planted that actually have been flooded and likely will need to be replanted.”

While corn is of immediate concern, it isn’t the only crop being affected by the weather. Kentucky’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported as of May 10, tobacco planting was 6 percent under the five-year average, with only 2 percent of the burley crop set. Soybean planting was 6 percent behind last year and 13 percent below the five-year average – and corn planting progress stood only at 39 percent, 28 percent behind last year and 44 percent below the five-year average.

“There are even less soybean acres planted. We start to get concerned about soybean yields about June 10 if we don’t have beans in the ground by then,” said Lee.

He added if the weather dries soon, some corn producers may opt to plant soybeans in place of their corn crop – but not to count out corn just yet.

“Normally, we’d say if you don’t plant corn until after May 10 to the 15th, you’re going to lose yield on that corn, probably (1) percent per day or somewhere in that ballpark,” said Lee. “But because of the way this year has gone with being so cool and wet early on (in the planting season), we didn’t get the normal jump that we would expect by planting early. So, late-planted corn this year probably isn’t going to be as bad of a loss as we would normally project it to be.”

It isn’t that the state is drowning; it is more in the way the rain has come. UK meteorologist Keys Arnold said before last weekend’s rains, the state had received just over two inches above the normal rainfall amounts for this time of year.

The problem is that it has come in downpours and spaced about two days apart, which has kept the ground from drying enough to allow equipment into the fields at a time when planting should be in full swing.

“So far, from January 1 to date, the state as a whole has received just over 20 inches of rain. The year as a whole has not been excessively wet; the problem is six of the last seven weeks we have had above-normal rainfall,” he said. “As you can imagine, the fields have been very wet so corn growers have had a very difficult time getting their crop in the ground.”

For the short term, climate predictions still look a little wet, Keys said, but the long-range forecast predicts a return to more normal conditions.

“The Climate Prediction Center still has us listed for above-normal rainfall on the monthly outlook. Now, on the three-month outlook, they have us returning back to normal. So, there’s not going to be any immediate relief,” he said. “The excessive rainfall in a short period of time is causing quite a frustration right now.”

Arnold added while it would be good to dry out, it would not be good to dry out excessively and the conditions that govern the track of weather patterns for the area suggest that temperatures and rainfall for the coming weeks should be “climatological normals.”

“And that’s something we haven’t had in a couple of years,” he said.