LOUISVILLE — Frustration has settled in among Kentucky farmers as steady rainfall has put them behind in spring planting.

        The rains have swamped fields, especially in the grain belt of western Kentucky, and might force some farmers to switch crop plans. Another band of heavy rain soaked parts of the state on Friday.

        The rain has been especially troublesome for corn farmers in a rush with the calendar to get their crops in the ground.

        In McCracken County, agriculture extension agent Doug Wilson said it's shaping up as the wettest spring he can remember. Mr. Wilson farmed for 22 years before becoming the ag extension agent 13 years ago.

        Paducah, the county seat, had received 8.25 inches of rain for the month through midday Friday, the National Weather Service said. The city's average rainfall for all of May is 4.94 inches.

        Only 15 percent of the county's corn acreage has been planted and virtually no soybeans are in the ground, Mr. Wilson said. Usually, almost all the corn and a third of the soybeans have been planted by now, he said.

        He rates the emerged corn as only 60 percent fair and 40 percent good.

        Commercial tomato growers in the county were almost a month behind in setting plants, and hay fields are in need of cutting, he said. Tobacco growers are waiting to transfer plants from greenhouses to the fields.

        Corn farmers idled from field work are pondering the potential of lower fall yields. A planting maxim holds that a farmer loses one bushel per acre for each day corn planting is delayed past May 15, Mr. Wilson said.

        “They get more and more despondent every day,” Mr. Wilson said. “They are frustrated because they know this is a costly situation.”

        Roger Davis tinkered with his farm equipment Friday, waiting for a dry spell to let him put in the rest of his corn crop. He has planted about three-fourths of his corn, but his bottomland was under water.

        The latest round of heavy rain might have washed out the 100 acres of soybeans he planted Thursday, he said. Still, the Carlisle County farmer said he was luckier than some area farmers.

        “We've had a few spells where we got most of our corn planted,” he said. “It's frustrating, but you have to understand it's the way it is. You can't change it — it's the nature of farming.”

        Burley Mathis, who farms in Ballard and Carlisle counties, said this spring has been one of the most difficult planting seasons he could remember. He has planted corn and soybeans in spurts between rainstorms, but has plenty of low ground he can't get to because of high water.

        “It's pretty bad down here right now,” Mr. Mathis said.

        Leland Brown, state statistician with the Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service, said the planting delays would force some farmers to reconsider their crop plans. Some might plant soybeans instead of corn. Others might go with shorter-season varieties of corn.

        Friday's rains put farmers more behind schedule, he said.

        As of last Sunday, 55 percent of Kentucky's corn crop had been planted, compared with 92 percent last year. Soybean planting was only 3 percent done, down from 41 percent a year ago. Farmers had set only 4 percent of burley tobacco, compared with 18 percent last year.

        Mr. Wilson said the later-planted corn would be more susceptible to disease, insects and heat stress.

        Excessive rain has fallen elsewhere in Kentucky.

        Portions of Appalachia have been hit by springtime flooding.

        Louisville has received almost 28 inches of rain for the year, 10 inches above normal, said Mike Callahan, a National Weather Service hydrologist. About 6 inches have fallen this month.

        In northern Kentucky, Covington had received 5.66 inches for the month, 3.32 inches above normal, Mr. Callahan said. For the year, Covington is 4.5 inches above normal, he said.

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