Iowa producers are expected to make excellent progress as harvest begins in earnest this week, thanks to ideal weather forecasts in the days ahead. According to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), farmers had 5.8 days on average suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sept. 18 with the focus on the start of row crop harvest, chopping silage, and seeding cover crops. The corn crop condition rating improved slightly to 64 percent good to excellent. An estimated 42 percent of corn was mature, two days behind last year but on track with the five-year average. Approximately two percent of the corn harvest was completed over the past week. The soybean crop condition rating was unchanged at 63 percent good to excellent with about a third of plants dropping leaves, a week behind last year and three days behind the average. The whole Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report is available online at www.nass.usda.gov.