With colder than normal temperatures in March, it has taken longer than expected for the frost in the ground to disappear.

According to the National Weather Service, March’s average temperature for Jefferson this year was 28.5 degrees and it is normally 36.2 degrees.

Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Mark Licht says there wasn’t a lot of field activity for crop producers last month.  Only within the last couple of days with warmer April temperatures the ground has had a chance to warm up.

Licht comments that compared to last year, he believes crop production is four weeks behind.  The National Weather Service reports that last year’s March temperatures for Jefferson averaged 50.7 degrees, about a 22 degree difference compared to this year’s numbers.

In March, most crop producers were laying dried fertilizer and right now there is little tillaging and some spring hydras being applied.  Despite the slow start to the planting season, Licht says its too early to tell whether or not planting season will be delayed.

“I think we’re really too early to really be speculating that yet.  24, 36, 48 row planters, we can really put a lot of corn in the ground really quickly.  So I’m not too overly worried yet that we’re falling behind.”

Licht explains that we have to be patient and wait for the ground to warm up and the soil to dry out before planting can happen.