Iowa farmers are looking at an early harvest this year, particularly in the southern counties of the state, but recent storms have limited their ability to get into the fields. “A series of storms brought significant rainfall to much of the state and caused flooding conditions in some areas,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig. “Crop development remains well ahead of average and we could start to see more harvest activity in the next couple of weeks if conditions allow.” The weekly Iowa Crop Progress and Conditions Report cited only an average of 2.7 days suitable for field work during the week ending Sept. 2. Ninety five percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage or beyond and 77 percent is dented or beyond, more than a week ahead of both last year and the five-year average. There have been a few reports of corn harvested for grain. Corn conditions are now rated at 74 percent good to excellent. Almost one third of the soybean crop was coloring, with four percent dropping leaves. Soybeans are rated at 72 percent good to excellent. The full report can be found by following the links below.
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