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County extension agents across the region generally predict widespread spring planting activity is at least a week off, maybe more -- weather, therefore field conditions, permitting.

"Right now, it looks like it's getting pushed back further up here -- probably the 26th or 28th of April," said Walsh County, N.D., extension agent Brad Brummond.

Much of the county's soil profile is saturated because of continued rain last fall.

"We inherited this moisture, plus we have flooding along the rivers. Fortunately, there wasn't a lot of snow. But there's still water standing in a lot of fields," Brummond said. "If we'd get some sunshine and some wind, it'd be better, but they're calling for cloudy and misty, so I'd say we're at least 10 days off."

Because of last year's wet fall, relatively few farmers in Walsh County managed to make their fall fertilizer -- mainly anhydrous ammonia -- and fall chemical applications. Once planting season gets rolling, Brummond said, that means another "iron in the fire" for many farmers.

"It started raining in the last week of August and kept on, so they got in very little fertilizer or herbicide then," Brummond said. "So, some guys are probably going to have a real severe time crunch."

Easter snow, late start

Farmers in Kittson County, Minn., likely will be taking to the field even later, said Kittson County extension agent Nathan Johnson.

"I'd be shocked if anything happened in April. It's the 18th today, and I don't expect that there'll be any wheels turning even next week. I think we're going to be out into May," Johnson said. "Farmers have been saying that, last year, they were in the field by this time, but that won't be happening this year. We're just very moist up here."

Snow over Easter weekend, Johnson said, compounded the problem.

"Where it (snow) settled in, where there was no wind, it was white -- not just a little dusting," Johnson said. "So, that definitely added to the moisture factor."

In Kittson County as well, wet fall weather kept fall fertilizer application to a minimum.

"That went in pockets. Some got on, but there's quite a bit that didn't," Johnson said.

Compared to North Dakota and Minnesota counties farther north, Traill County, N.D., farmers could be in the field relatively early.

"Nobody's been able to get in yet, but I just talked to a farmer today (Wednesday) that was saying, 'Well, maybe next week, 10 days from now or so,'" said Traill County, N.D., extension agent Clint Gienger. "That'd be my best guess, too. Depends on what kind of weather we get."

Field conditions have improved somewhat during the last week, however.

"With the weather we've had -- at least over the last few days -- it's looking a lot better than it did," Gienger said.

If they applied their anhydrous ammonia fertilizer last fall, some Traill County farmers will be able to put crop in the ground sooner. But that depends on when they got last year's crop off.

"Some got theirs on, some didn't -- kind of a mixed bag on that front," Geinger said. "If they had fields they harvested earlier, they probably got some on; if not, it had to wait until this spring."

'Out scratching around'

Farmers in Barnes County, N.D., generally should be in the field around the end of next week, Barnes County extension agent Shawn Vachal said, although one he knew of was out trying his luck Wednesday.

"I just talked to one of our farmers here. He was out scratching around a little, thinking about putting on some anhydrous," Vachal said. "But he's the exception -- he's up on higher ground, kind of up on a ridge."

One problem faced by many Barnes County farmers is corn ground left essentially untouched after last year's harvest.

"There's some that had nothing done with it -- the stalks were still there, full of snow until now," Vachal said.

One solution to that problem, Vachal added, is that more than a few farmers in that situation will try their hand at seeding no-till crop on those acres.

"A lot of those guys are planning to put soybeans on that ground, plant them right into what was left behind. There have been quite a few no-till drills sold around here," Vachal said. "So, that's a little different way of doing things than we're used to around here."