Small Portion of Iowa’s Corn Crop Begins Reaching Maturity

As we start September, many farmers will be busy chopping silage and baling hay – while others are beginning to gear up for harvest. 

Those are the words of Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig in this week’s Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA on Tuesday.

This week’s report says both corn and soybean condition is rated at 58-percent good. Nine-percent of the corn has matured. Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 92-percent this week. Sixty-three percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond – that’s two days ahead of last year, but two days behind the five-year average. Soybeans setting pods reached 95-percent, while beans coloring or beyond reached 19-percent – one day ahead of last year, but one day behind average. There were also scattered reports of soybeans dropping leaves. 

The third cutting of alfalfa hay has reached 87-percent complete and the oat harvest has virtually wrapped up.