Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana) — March 29, 2009 - The wet winter weather and plenty of rain earlier this month hasn’t helped area farmers, who are eagerly waiting to start planting.<!-more—>

The ground, however, is still too moist and most farmers have to sit back and wait, according to Mark Kepler, agricultural extension educator for Fulton County Purdue Extension Service.

“There was the early outlook and the late outlook,” he said. “Early on, we were thinking there was going to be a lot of wetness this year. Now, there is some wetness and guys are still going to have a hard time getting in there.”

While some areas have dried, farmers need to take into consideration it is expected to rain again and the rivers are still full, Kepler added.

“It will take some time to truly dry out this ground because it is pretty much saturated,” he said. “That’s bad news for corn and soybeans.”

The moist grounds are favorable for harvesting hay, which is used to feed cattle and horses in the area.

While corn and soy bean farmers wait to start tilling, fertilizing and planting seeds, many have been preparing in other ways.

Kepler said this is when farmers concentrate on tuning up equipment.

New Holland manager Mike Stephenson said a number of farmers have been bringing in farm equipment for inspection and repair.

While some farmers prefer to bring in equipment ahead of time, others wait until the last moment, he said. New Holland’s mechanics check over and make necessary repairs, including replacing worn-out parts, to the equipment farmers bring.

Even though the company only services brands it sells, Stephenson said many people seem to be following a newer trend.

“There is a trend to repair what they have rather than invest in new equipment,” he said. “That is a sign of the economic times.”

Instead of focusing on repairs, Walton farmer Joe Rush installed a new height control system on his sprayer while waiting to get into the field.

Rush said the new system will be more precise in spraying the field and crops.

“We’re being more efficient to offset the higher input costs,” he said.

Brian Theiringer, field service and technical support for the U.S. division of Norac Weighing and Control Systems, said the system is set to a certain height above ground. The sensors detect height changes between the sprayer arms and the ground. The hydraulics automatically readjust to the correct height, which helps cut product costs.

As soon as equipment repairs and revamps are completed and the ground dries, farmers will start working the fields. Kepler said several farmers will start tilling when the ground is still wet.

Even though farmers are waiting for the ground to dry, Rush feels the weather is nicer compared to the 2008 planting season.

“Actually it didn’t get nice until the first of April last year,” he said. “I think things are looking a little better. We’ve at least been able to pull equipment out and work on it. It didn’t turn nice until we were ready to plant last year.”

With it just the end of April, Rush is not concerned as the ground dampness varies from year to year.

His biggest concern are input costs, mostly for fertilizer and seeds.

Input costs seemed to have doubled since last year, according to Rush, so his profits will depend on what his crop yields turn out. Higher input costs means one thing to him.

“It means less profit if any at all,” he said. “Our input costs have gone up and the price of our products has gone down. Hopefully, in another year, we will see input costs go back down.”

Kepler has noticed an increase in some input costs and a decrease or steadiness in others.

While some of the fertilizers have increased, nitrogen seems to have decreased in cost. The good thing for some farmers is nitrogen is the only fertilizer that must be applied every year.

In order to say money, many farmers might opt to stay away from the higher-priced fertilizers.

“If they didn’t need it, they aren’t going to put it on,” he said.

Along with chemicals, seed prices have also increased. The seeds have increased due to better quality hybrids.

Newer and better hybrid seeds have been available in more recent years, Rush said, but it will cost more to take advantage of better quality.

“The newer hybrids can stand better in adverse weather condition,” he added.

With higher input costs, Kepler said many farmers have been trying to figure out what the best planting trends might be for this season.

Early on predictions showed an increase in planted soybean acre for two reasons.

“The cost of soybeans and inputs were favoring soybeans,” said Kepler.

The Chicago Board of Trade commodity prices for corn was at $4 per bushel and $9.70 for beans earlier this week. Kepler said prices for the local area would be around 30 cents less.

Rush anticipates the whole economy to turn around some. He said he prefers to take an optimistic outlook this year.

“Most farmers are optimistic,” he said. “I think most are or they wouldn’t be able to farm.”

With the start of farming season right around the corner, Kepler reminds farmers to be safe. Once the weather breaks, Kepler said farmers tend to work long hours and become fatigued. It is important to take breaks.

On the flip side, Kepler reminds local residents of the large equipment that will be on the road. He asks drivers to remain patient.

“Our roads aren’t as big as farm equipment,” he said. “We have to respect each other.”

Author: Denise Massie, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.,