"Soggy Fields Put U.S. Farmers On A Tight Deadline"

"Incessant rains have turned Indiana farmer Larry Winger's grain fields into ponds, making it impossible for him to seed his corn crop.

"Historically, we would like the work to be done by the first of May, and research shows the optimal planting time is the last week of April," said Winger, who plants half of his 2,500 acres with corn, and the other half with soybeans.

"Prospects are OK until May 10, but after May 10, we start losing bushels," he added.

Similar scenes of waterlogged fields stretch from Minnesota to Indiana to Nebraska, the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt. Unusually wet conditions are keeping farmers out of their fields during the crucial spring planting season."

Suzanne Cosgrove reports for Reuters May 2, 2011.