Iowa Soybean Harvest Slightly Behind Average, Corn Ahead of Schedule

By Cami Koons

Warm, dry conditions across the state for most of the week gave Iowa farmers plenty of time in the fields to harvest corn and soybeans. 

According to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 17% of soybean acres and 15% of corn acres across the state have been harvested. 

Harvest figures for the Sept. 22-28 reporting period mean soybean farmers are three days behind last year and the five-year average, while corn farmers are four days ahead of last year and one day ahead of the average. 

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said farmers should continue “making harvest headway” this week with nice weather in the forecast, though “conditions may be a bit dusty.” 

“Combines are rolling all across Iowa,” Naig said in a statement.

Temperatures for the reporting period were 8.1°F above the climatological normal, which according to the report, “quickly advanced crop maturity.” 

Across the state, 80% of corn acres have reached maturity, as opposed to 66% the week prior. The percentage of soybean acres dropping leaves jumped from just 62% last week to 83% this week. 

Soybeans rated 55% good and 18% excellent for the week, while corn rated 53% good and 18% excellent. 

Despite a below-normal weekly precipitation average of just 0.41 inch, soil moisture conditions remain mostly adequate. 

Sixty-five percent of topsoil moisture and 70% of subsoil moisture conditions were adequate for the reporting period. Southern regions of the state were slightly drier than the state average, while central and northern regions were slightly wetter. 

In southeast Iowa, according to the report, just 33% of topsoil had adequate moisture, while the majority, 66% of topsoil was short or very short of moisture. 

According to the seven-day precipitation forecast posted Monday by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa is projected to receive less than half an inch of rain for the week.  

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