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Soil moisture levels vary widely from southeast to northwest Iowa

Soil moisture levels are in stark contrast from southeast to northwest Iowa.

The latest weekly crop report from USDA says while the southeastern part of the state has subsoil moisture ratings around 84 percent adequate to surplus, 84 percent of subsoils in northwest Iowa are short to very short.

Spotty rains did benefit crops, but farmers say more moisture is needed across northern Iowa.

There were scattered reports of corn silking last week, and 62 percent of the crop is in good to excellent condition.

For soybeans, nearly 40 percent of the crop is blooming, with 59 percent rated good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 30 percent complete, one day behind the five-year average.