News

Fire danger could slow Iowa harvest

Dry and windy weather in Iowa has resulted in numerous field fires and law enforcement in some parts of the state have asked farmers to temporarily cease harvesting due to the elevated risk of fires. As moisture levels continue to drop, more farmers are harvesting corn, but the primary harvest has been on soybeans according to the weekly report from the Iowa Field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Top soil moisture is now rated as twenty-two percent very short, thirty-six percent short and forty-one percent adequate, with only one percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is also short with forty-six percent rated adequate to surplus.

Twelve percent of the corn has been harvested for grain or seed, behind last year but ahead of the average of ten-percent. The moisture content of the corn still in the field is averaging about twenty-four percent, and harvested corn is at twenty-one percent. Corn lodging does remain a greater problem than last year; with sixteen-percent of Iowa’s corn crop experiencing moderate to heavy lodging. Fifty-eight percent of the crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

Just twenty-one percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, behind last year’s thirty-four percent and the normal of thirty-percent. Soybean lodging is slightly worse than the previous year, but shattering levels are nearly identical to last year. Sixty-five percent of the soybean crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

 

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published.


 

Stay Up to Date

Subscribe for our newsletter today and receive relevant news straight to your inbox!