DES MOINES, Iowa – As farmers chopped silage and continued harvesting hay this past week, an unexpected frost fell in areas of northern Iowa like Elkader, Stanley and Sheldon, as well as near Battle Creek in western Iowa.
Tuesday’s dusting followed the anticipated frost on Saturday, September 13, which did little to halt or slow crop development in Iowa. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker noted lows down to 33 degrees on Tuesday morning in the above areas, with unseasonably cool weather remaining across the state until Friday.
Development of Iowa’s corn and soybean crop remains behind schedule. A full 37 percent of the corn crop is now mature, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. However that figure puts Iowa’s corn production 10 days behind the 5-yea average.
On soybeans it’s a similar story; last week leaves were turning color on 79 percent of the soybean crop, which is 5 days behind normal.
Crop quality is not a concern. Seventy-six percent of the corn crop and 74 percent of the soybean crop is categorized as good to excellent condition.
Wide-scale harvest has yet to begin, although Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey observed that ?harvest of seed corn fields is also in full swing.? Northey further pointed out that “if the weather remains dry this week wide-spread harvest will likely begin. Farmers are anxious to get into the fields for what could be very good yields in much of the state.?
Dry weather is forecast for this week across much of the state, according to Hillaker, although precipitation is expected the following week.
