Northwest Iowa — Iowa farmers had nearly seven days suitable for fieldwork last week and made the most of it.
The latest USDA crop report says 12 percent of the corn has been harvested — up from four percent — and almost three weeks ahead of last year and nine days ahead of average. The soybean harvest was at 30 percent complete — up from seven percent last week. The bean harvest is 19 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of average.
It is the largest percentage of soybeans and corn harvested by this time since 2012 when 48 percent of the corn and 41 percent of soybeans had been harvested. Farmers in the northwest and west-central Iowa continue to lead the way with almost half of their soybean acreage harvested, and 19 percent of corn.
The lack of rain has meant farmers could get a lot of the crop harvested. Moisture remains low here though. Northwest Iowa topsoil moisture according to the report rates 25 percent very short, 51 percent short, 24 percent adequate, and zero percent surplus. That means 76 percent of the topsoil in northwest Iowa is in need of a good rain. But since farmers are in the midst of harvest, perhaps it could wait a little while now.
The northwest Iowa subsoil moisture figures tell a similar story, with 31 percent very short, 50 percent short, and only 19 percent adequate, with no sites reporting surplus moisture.
