News

Weather extremes hurt Iowa crop condition ratings

Weather extremes impacted Iowa crops the last week of July.

Ag Secretary Mike Naig commented on USDA’s latest crop update, saying the month ended with several days of sweltering temperatures mixed with scattered thunderstorms that produced hail, high winds, and heavy rains.

Corn rated good to excellent dropped to 59 percent, with crop development slightly ahead of normal.

Soybeans called good to excellent fell to 55 percent, with 57 percent of the crop setting pods.  That’s two days faster than the five-year average and three days ahead of a year ago.

The oat harvest is past the halfway point and the second cutting of alfalfa is 93 percent complete.