Nearly Half of Iowa Corn at the Dent Stage

By Cami Koons

Forty-five percent of Iowa corn acres have reached the dent stage and soybeans are just beginning to color, with nearly all, or 90%, of the crop already setting pods, according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Corn and soybean crops are a day or two behind the five year average schedule on several progression stages. Corn in the dough stage reached 88% which is three days behind the average for the Aug. 18–24 reporting period.

Corn acres rated 84% good to excellent and soybean acres rated 79% good to excellent, a slight drop from the previous reporting period for both crops. 

The report also noted disease pressure continued to rise in Iowa crops. Field agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach noted continued presence of southern corn rust and sudden death syndrome, along with a slew of other diseases and pests have been present across the state. 

Oat harvest is nearly finished in the state at 97% completion, and nearly 80% of alfalfa hay acres have had a third cutting. 

Farmers had nearly six days suitable for field work this week and enjoyed high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit later in the week due to a cold front that pushed in. 

“Farmers across Iowa enjoyed a welcome break from the rain last week along with cooler temperatures and less humidity,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement. 

Naig said the cooler temperatures are forecast to hang around for the remainder of the month. 

Despite the cool temperatures through the weekend, the average temperature for the reporting period was still 1.3°F above normal, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, who said temperatures were “unseasonably warm” for most of the period. 

Ames logged the highest temperature for the week, which at 97°F was 16°F above the normal. 

Northeastern parts of the state had “unseasonably” high precipitation totals early in the week, with some areas logging as much as 6 inches of rain. 

The average precipitation across the state was 0.87 inch, just slightly below the normal of 0.93 inch.

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