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Iowa corn planting fastest in history

It was a great week in Iowa to plant corn. A lot of counties are three-quarters done. Rainfall late in the week and over the weekend is activating chemicals and promoting emergence. It’s also a big help to newly emerged oats. Soybean planting has started but growers now have to wait until the ground dries.

Topsoil moisture is 95 percent adequate to surplus and 98 percent of Iowa subsoil moisture is rated that way. 

Across the state corn planting is 68 percent complete, 11 days ahead of last year and 13 days ahead of the five-year average. For the last week in April, it’s the farthest along in Iowa history.

Soybean planting is 4 percent complete, compared with 2 percent last year and 1 percent for the five-year average. Oat planting is almost finished and the crop is 59 percent emerged.