Iowa Farmers Begin Transition to Fall Field Work

Most farmers in Iowa are finished with corn and soybean harvest or have just a handful of acres left in the field, according to average harvest rates. 

Exact data is not available due to the ongoing government shutdown, which paused crop progress and condition reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At this point in the season last year, corn harvest was 92% which was nearly a week ahead of the 2023 harvest and two weeks ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans were 98% complete this time last year. 

Naig said in the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s weekly weather report that wet weather may have kept some farmers out of the field over the past week. 

Conditions were especially wet in western parts of the state, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, who reported some western communities received more than 1.5 inches of rain.

Overall, Glisan said the statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.7 inch, which is about two-tenths of an inch above the average. Temperatures across the state, on average, were also slightly above the climatological normal at 45.3 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Craig Sweet, a farmer near St. Charles, said his corn and soybeans are “pretty good this year.” 

“Not complaining anyway, it has been worse,” Sweet said. “It’s just like everything — you’ve kind of got to go with the flow.”

Sweet said Friday he had a little more than 30 acres to harvest and hoped to get it finished in the next week. He said after that, he has some fall tilling to do “and that’ll be it.” 

Time to test soil for pests

As farmers take to other field work at the end of harvest season, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach said it is the “best time” to collect soil samples and test for soybean cyst nematodes, a parasitic roundworm. 

Soybean cyst nematodes limit the soybean plant’s ability to absorb nutrients from the soil and can also make symptoms worse when the plant is affected by other diseases or pests. 

Soybean cyst nematodes have been detected in every Iowa county. Soil samples can be sent to the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic, so farmers can determine if they need to plant soybean cyst nematode resistant varieties next year.

Soil temperatures have also dropped below 50 degrees, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. ISU agronomists recommend farmers wait for soil temperatures to be in this range before applying nitrogen to their fields.

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