Iowa’s Crop Conditions Staying Steady

The condition of Iowa’s corn is staying pretty steady after some spotty rainfall this past week.

In this week’s Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, the USDA says corn condition is rated 63-percent good to excellent – just one percentage drop from last week. Corn silking hit 79-percent this past week – six days ahead of last year and three days ahead of normal. Nineteen percent of corn has reached the dough stage, with some reports of corn starting to dent. 

Eighty-one percent of soybeans are blooming – one week ahead of last year and five days ahead of average. Soybeans setting pods reached 35-percent – that’s two days ahead of last year and one day ahead of average. Soybean condition remained steady at 58-percent good to excellent. 

The state’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 86-percent complete – that’s six days ahead of both last year and the average – with the third cutting now at 20-percent complete. Hay condition dropped to 37-percent good to excellent.

And oat condition remains 51-percent good to excellent, with oats harvested for grain at 36-percent complete. 

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the hottest stretch of July is forecasted this week, initial August outlooks are showing some chances for cooler and wetter conditions.