Spring rains could drive up grain price

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Muddy fields have been plaguing farmers since the start of Spring and with crops spending less time in the ground, we maybe getting less off the stalk come fall.

This has been a strange season. For the year we are over three inches below average in rainfall but we have had just enough heavy rain right around planting time that many farmers are scrambling to get their crops in the field.

Jason Degroat is a farmer in Carlisle. Thanks to nice weather the last few days he's finally all caught up with planting his corn but is just now starting to plant his soybeans. Jason uses a no till drill for the job. This machine first makes a slit in the soil. Then the seed is dropped into the hole with a till throwing soil back over the seed. When the field is wet not only can the tractor get stuck but after the seed is dropped in the slit the soil does not cover it. leaving the seed exposed which hurts its chances to take root. "At this point in time we'll probably be all right as far as the spring rains and everything. If it was to dry up here in the next couple weeks we'd probably still be able to have a pretty normal crop." says Jason.

Ohio's weather is improving, but much of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri are still too wet to plant. With less time for the plants to grow some may not reach maturity by the harvest. That cuts down the supply and drives up the cost.