Northwest Iowa — The crops continue making progress toward harvest. The latest crop report shows warm conditions last week for much of the state.
Melissa Bond, Statistical Assistant for the USDA NASS Iowa Field Office, gives us some highlights of the report.
She tells us about soybeans and other crops.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says that after another warm week statewide, corn pollination is nearly complete for portions of Iowa as soybeans continue to bloom and set pods. He says that much of Iowa received at least some rain, though not enough to ease drought conditions. Forecasts show near-seasonal temperatures and isolated chances of rain through the end of July, according to Naig.
Here in northwest Iowa, more topsoil is reported in the short to very short categories than adequate or surplus, with 30 percent very short and 33 percent short. Only 37 percent has adequate moisture. It’s a similar situation deeper in the ground, with 27 percent of subsoil moisture rated very short and 33 percent short. Only 40 percent is reported to be adequate.
Up here, most of the corn is silking, at 68 percent, but only a very small fraction is in the dough stage, at 2 percent. A large majority of soybeans are blooming — 83 percent, and 53 percent of soybeans are setting pods in our area.
