News

Iowa crops in good shape

 

Rainfall was mixed last week in Iowa, heavy rains in some areas, drier than normal conditions in others.

The state office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service reports heat and humidity helped crop development, with reports of weed and insect problems in soybeans and fungus in corn fields. 80% of topsoil and 81% of subsoil have adequate moisture levels.

93% of corn is silking and 30% has reached the dough making stage, both faster than normal. 83% of the crop is in good to excellent condition.

87% of soybeans are blooming, a little slower than average, and 57% is at the pod setting stage, slightly faster than usual. 79% of soybeans are in good to excellent shape.

Alfalfa cutting is slower than normal because of wet conditions, with the second cutting at 79% and the third cutting at 18%.

76% of pastures and rangelands and 69% of hay are called good to excellent. Iowa’s livestock is reportedly experiencing normal summer levels of heat stress.