Counties of: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux
Weather conditions remain warm and dry. Rainfall amounts have been spotty all summer. Subsoil moisture and river levels are very low. For the third year in a row, most of this region remains in a drought. If subsoil moisture levels don’t improve before next season, the 2023 crop will be vulnerable to repeated drought. The extended outlook remains hot with normal chances of rainfall. The warm weather will speedup crop maturity and harvest timeline.
The corn in this area is nearing maturity. The combination of warm and dry weather has reduced corn yield potential on most farms. I expect the variability of yields at harvest time from top to bottom will be incredible. The fast-maturing corn on light soils in western Plymouth and Sioux Counties look to have the worst crop since 2012. However, heavy soil farms in the northern tier of counties should do very well. Soil fertility, seed corn genetics, precision farming, and a little luck catching rain showers will make a big difference this year. Any weakness shows up in crop stress this year.
Soybeans are on schedule for a normal harvest timeline. Most fields are starting to turn color. A rain would still help some of the beans, but time is quickly running out. Like corn, farms with the best water holding capacity & a few more lucky rains should be ok. Overall, I anticipate an average at best bean crop.
Please click on the links on the right to view the past pdf’s of our Northwest Crop Conditions reports.
1705 N Lake Ave
Storm Lake, IA 50588
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