Northwest Iowa — Northwest Iowa crops are doing well. In the latest crop report issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, soybeans continue to mature ahead of the curve.
Ben Torrance, Agricultural Statistician for the USDA-NASS Upper Midwest Region Field Office tells us that on the statewide level, there were six days suitable for fieldwork in the last week.
In northwest Iowa, we had slightly less available time for fieldwork, with 5.5 days.
He says that crops are maturing ahead of last year and ahead of average in the Hawkeye state.
Northwest Iowa corn maturity was pretty similar to the state numbers, with soybeans just a touch behind, with 92 percent blooming and 80 percent setting pods.
Other crops are also doing well, with a small decline in condition numbers says Torrance.
Weather-wise, temperatures were below normal in the past week, with above-normal precipitation, especially in northwest Iowa. During the early morning hours of Saturday, an organized storm system moved into western Iowa, bringing rainfall to many stations; Sioux Center reported 2.02 inches, the week’s highest accumulation. A surface front brought multiple thunderstorms early on Sunday. Measurable rainfall was reported at many stations across the state’s northern half, with Sheldon reporting 2.00 inches, 1.88 inches above normal.
