The cold, wet spring has been an inconvenience and uncomfortable for many Saline County citizens, but for area farmers it has meant a delay in getting the corn crop planted for the year.

"We're about three weeks behind where we would like to be," said Gabe Ramsey of Central Missouri Agri-Service in Marshall.

Statewide only 8 percent of the corn has been planted, which is four weeks behind last year and the five-year average, according to the USDA's Missouri field office summary on April 30. Only 24 percent of spring tillage has been done in Missouri, which is also about a month behind the five-year average. Most of the corn planted, according to the report, has been in the Bootheel of southeast Missouri.

Ramsey said in Saline County, the percent of corn planted is probably a little higher than state average, after many farmers were able to work last Wednesday and Thursday. There is also quite of bit of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer left to put on the fields, he said.

"A week's time would make a world of difference," said Ramsey, adding that their fertilizer rigs and sprayers were busy last Wednesday. "It's picked up a lot here today for the first time since the first of January."

According to Ramsey, it normally takes about two weeks' time for farmers to get most of the corn acres planted.

Some areas of the county have had drier conditions and more progress than others, according to Ramsey. He said farmers near Fairville, Miami, north of Slater and towards Malta Bend have had less moisture and have been able to get in the field. However, south of town and from "41 highway back to 20 highway" has been the wettest, he said.

"There are quite a few acres planted in some areas, and virtually none in other parts of the county," he said.

Although farmers in the area normally plant corn in early April, Wayne Crook, University of Missouri agronomy extension specialist, said that researchers have found on average that corn planted until May 10 does not significantly influence yield.

"Right now until the 10th of May we shouldn't lose any yield if we get normal rainfall, which basically means rain in June," he said, adding that is when the corn plant is pollinating.

Both Ramsey and Crook said that farmers they have talked to thus far are not planning on switching to soybeans, yet.

Crook also said soybean seed may be difficult to find this spring, if they haven't already been ordered.

"Soybean quality has been poor on some and hard to get," said Crook.

He said when it was hot last fall, many of the soybean's seedcoats were damaged, causing a decrease in germination quality.

Although last year, the number of corn acres increased by about 15 percent because of higher prices, John Fletcher of Central Missouri Agri-Service said he believes most farmers will be planting closer to 55 percent corn and 45 percent soybeans.

While commodity prices are higher, input costs such as diesel fuel, seed and fertilizer have jumped significantly as well.

According to Fletcher, fertilizer prices are "higher than the dickens."

In some cases the prices for fertilizers have tripled in the last three years.

When asked why the prices have risen, Fletcher said, "Because they can," explaining that many fertilizer manufacturers have been keeping prices low and losing money because of low grain prices and less demand.

However, he said, with record high soybean and corn prices, the manufacturers are "trying to make up some of the losses."

After rain on Friday, May 2, some drying occurred over the weekend, and some farmers were able to get back in the field Monday, May 5; however, rain is expected again Wednesday night.

In 1995, according to Fletcher, several area farmers didn't finish up planting corn until early June.