Crop conditions continued to deteriorate over the past week, despite most of the state receiving at least a little rain over the weekend. According to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), producers had 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sept. 10, focused primarily on chopping silage and cutting and baling hay. There were scattered reports of corn and soybean harvest getting underway. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Although areas of Iowa received some rain over the weekend, persistent dryness and expanding drought continue to dominate. Hot temperatures and a lack of rain have produced varying crop conditions, which may lead some farmers in pockets of the state to start harvesting earlier than usual.” Corn conditions slipped three percentage points to 46 percent good to excellent. Corn in the dent stage or beyond was 90 percent this week, six days ahead of last year and eight days ahead of the five-year average. Thirty-eight percent of the State’s corn crop has reached maturity, a week ahead of last year and six days ahead of normal. Soybean conditions fell five percentage points to 44 percent good to excellent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 67 percent, six days ahead of last year and five days ahead of the average. Soybeans dropping leaves was 25 percent this week, seven days ahead of last year and three days ahead of normal. Topsoil moisture conditions rated 79 percent short to very short, 21 percent adequate, and zero percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 78 percent short to very short, 21 percent adequate, and one percent surplus. The full report is available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
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