Looking statewide at the Iowa crop conditions, there’s definitely been a lack of moisture lately. Hopefully, the recent weather patterns are providing an indication of wetter weather to come this month. But as for the current crop conditions, Kevin Sullivan of the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) provided some key takeaways from the latest crop conditions report, start first with corn.
“Topsoil moisture condition right at 18% very short, 41% short, 40% adequate and 1% surplus,” Sullivan said. “Subsoil moisture condition right at 19% very short, 47% short, 33% adequate and 1% surplus. Corn silking hit 97%. This week 58% of the corn crop has reached the dough stage or beyond, three days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. 16% of the corn crop has reached the dent stage, nine days ahead of last year and one week ahead of normal.”
As far as the rest of the crop conditions, still not much has changed.
“[Corn] remained steady at 59 percent good to excellent,” Sullivan said. “Ninety-six percent of soybeans were blooming. Soybeans setting pods reached 75 percent, 5 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean condition fell 2 percentage points to 53 percent good to excellent. Oats harvested for grain reached 80 percent. The State’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 97 percent complete, 1 week ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the average. The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 51 percent complete, 2 weeks ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the 5-year average. Hay condition rated 36 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated just 22 percent good to excellent.”
Sullivan added that, according to the USDA NASS report, livestock producers continue to supplement with hay due to the prolonged dry weather conditions
