Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

The Northwest region continues to see unusually high rainfall for July, with another 2 inches expected in the next week. The moisture has benefited the crops overall, but some areas are seeing too much of a good thing. Farms with good drainage have the advantage this year so far, but we still have time to get hot and dry in August. Temperatures have been near normal this month, but some weather models are showing above-average heat building into August. The biggest weather risks moving forward may be flash flooding in some saturated fields and/or prolonged heat stress late summer. Thankfully, most fields have built soil moisture reserves to buffer against a dry spell, but intense heat in August could still limit yields regardless of available moisture.

Corn is now in the pollination stage, which began last week and will continue for another week or so. This is a vital period, as maximum kernel number is determined now.
• Most corn fields are rated good to excellent
• Localized issues in fields with flooding or storm damage
• Fungicide treatments are being applied widely to address growing pressure from leaf diseases

If current trends hold, the region is on track for above-average corn yields.

Soybeans are at full bloom, and they are actively producing branches and flowers. In the next 1–2 weeks, they’ll transition to pod development, a key phase for setting yield.
• White mold pressure may be high due to wet conditions; it typically requires two fungicide applications for control
• Soybean aphids and foliar diseases need to be watched over the next few weeks

Soybean yield will hinge heavily on August weather, particularly temperature and moisture levels during pod fill.