Iowa corn planting now two weeks behind average

Farmers eager to plant corn were further delayed this past week by cold and rain and are now two weeks behind the five-year average, according to a Monday report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It’s a crucial time for the corn crop because the optimum planting window is closing, according to Iowa State University research, which shows that yields for much of the state start to decline quickly for corn that is planted after the middle of May.