Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

It’s beginning to look more like fall as crops shift colors. Late August and early September have been a bit dry, but that’s not necessarily a concern. Many farms were already saturated after well above-average rainfall in July and much of August. According to the National Weather Service, the next two weeks should bring warmer-than-average temperatures and near-normal rainfall chances.  That’s a favorable forecast to help crops reach maturity and begin drying down.

Corn is about a week away from full maturity. Fields are showing the typical yellowing and browning of lower leaves, though some color change is due to disease pressures like rust, northern blight, Goss’s wilt, or nitrogen deficiency. Wind and light hail damage have also left their mark. Fields losing their green color first may be an early-maturity variety or showing stress from something else. Leaf diseases and other stresses have probably taken the top yield prospects down somewhat, but the corn crop still looks big in this region. I am seeing impressive yield estimates and less variability than in recent seasons.

Soybeans remain on track for a normal late September to early October harvest. Many fields are just beginning to turn yellow. Like corn, soybeans are facing disease challenges, including sudden death syndrome, which will trim yields on some farms. Still, August moisture provided a solid finish, and overall yields are expected to be above average.