Iowa's cold and wet conditions delay farmers from planting corn

The endless cold and wet temperatures aren't just drenching our spring plans, they're also delaying farmers from planting corn and soybeans.

Driving the news: Typically, farmers would have planted about 42% of the state's corn by this point in the year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress report. But only 9% of Iowa's corn crop has been planted so far.

• It's Iowa's slowest corn planting pace since 2013, the Register reports.

Between the lines: Timing is important to ensure the corn has the best weather conditions for optimum yield.

• Yields shrink past May 15, KWWL reports.

What to watch: The soil needs time to dry out, but there's no indication that will happen until early next week. At this point, most farmers are behind schedule, but it's not long enough to sound the alarm.

• "We're not late yet, but the forecast doesn't give me any hope of getting in the field in the next five or six days," Waverly farmer Mark Mueller told KWWL.