What’s Going on With Iowa Corn and Soybeans?

Iowa corn growers have harvested 84% of their crop so far, over 20 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Soybean harvest across the state is even closer to being wrapped up for the season: 96% of the crop had been harvested as of Oct. 27, outpacing the five-year average by 10 percentage points. That’s all according to the most recent USDA Crop Progress report. 

State Climatologist Justin Glisan reported widespread rainfall returned to Iowa the week ending Oct. 27, the most falling in the east-central part of the state. Glisan added some striking context to the amount of rainfall: “The weekly statewide total was more than the previous four weeks combined, though still below the 30-year climatological average.” 

Even after the rain, this month will likely be one of the driest Octobers on record, said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. But he anticipated a welcomed change in the coming weeks, noting, “Weather outlooks for early November are indicating more chances for rainfall.”

Farmer Describes ‘Breakneck Pace’ of Harvest

Western Iowa farmer Kelly Garrett said Wednesday that harvest is “going faster than ever because we haven’t had any rain until today.” Corn and soybean harvest for Garrett’s operation happened at “a breakneck pace” this year.

For Garrett, who farms 4,000 acres of corn and over 1,800 acres of soybeans, the 2024 season will be wrapped after just 100 more acres are harvested. Even though Garrett’s crops have gone without much rain, moisture levels haven’t been too bad. “We’re still combining 17% to 18% moisture corn, so we’re doing okay,” said Garrett.

When it comes to how he’s ending the historically dry harvest season with corn at that moisture level, Garrett’s game plan has been a proactive one. “The strategies we have [are] to maintain plant health and to balance the plant and the soil nutritionally, and because of that, our corn stays pretty wet … I feel there’s many yield benefits to that. It varies from year to year what the yield benefit is.” 

As for his other main crop, Garrett said, “Yields were nice for the early soybeans.” He added that his crop was out of the field earlier in the season because of the desiccation process his operation uses to move harvest ahead. But for growers who were harvesting soybeans later in the year, at which point soybean moisture reached 6.5% to 8%, Garrett said, “There is a yield penalty when they get that dry.”

Field Agronomist Discusses Variable Yields, Forecasted Rainfall

Gentry Sorenson, a field agronomist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said crop yields varied greatly across his area of North Central to Northwest Iowa. “Field conditions and flooding impacted planting and planting times. Also, drought conditions [in] late summer and fall had some effect on yield.” 

Considering the greater chance of precipitation in early November, Sorenson said it will be a benefit as harvest is nearing completion and fall tillage has begun. “Rainfall will help to ease concerns that some have regarding lack of moisture in the soil profile for next year’s crop and concerns with anhydrous application in dry soils.”

According to USDA’s report, Iowa’s topsoil moisture condition was rated, for the most part, short/very short the week ending Oct. 27. Only 15% was rated adequate, and none was rated surplus. Subsoil supplies were about the same: 34% very short, 46% short, and 20% adequate. None was rated surplus.