Iowa crop maturity still lagging average rates

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Iowa’s corn and soybean crops continue to lag behind state averages for maturity at this time in the growing season, and some areas of the state are beginning to hurt for rain, but for the most part the crops are looking pretty good.

The weekly Iowa crop progress and condition report, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shows the part of the state that includes Floyd County is generally ahead of all the other parts of the state when it comes to corn silking, soybeans blooming and oats coloring.

The report said 93% of the corn in the north central district — one of nine districts in which the state is divided for the report — has reached the corn silking stage, compared with a statewide average of 84%.

Still, that’s behind the five-year average of 95% at this point in this summer. Last year corn silking was at 98% at the time.

Soybeans showed 94% blooming, compared with a statewide average of 78% this year. The five-year state average is 91% blooming.

The state corn crop was rated 54% good and 12% excellent, according to the report. More than a fourth — 26% — was only rated fair, however, and 6% was rated poor and 2% very poor.

The soybean crop was rated 55% good and 11% excellent, with 28% fair and 7% poor or very poor.

“Another dry week across most of the state allowed Iowa farmers 6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 4,” according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Fieldwork activities included moving grain, spraying fungicides and insecticides, and harvesting hay and oats.
Topsoil moisture condition was rated 5 percent very short, 26 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Areas in 41 counties throughout Iowa were rated as abnormally dry according to the Aug. 1, 2019 U.S. Drought Monitor. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 3% very short, 19% short, 75% adequate and 3% surplus.

Several abnormally dry areas are in the southeast part of the state, and the eastern tip of the state, from Butler County and on southeast over to Jackson County and down to Des Moines County are abnormally dry.

Those reports were before the heavy rain that many areas received Monday evening.