Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

Harvest has just begun on a few farms with early-maturity soybeans or high-moisture corn for livestock. Crops are maturing quickly from the recent hot, dry weather, but most farms in the region aren’t ready yet. Harvest activity should pick up over the next week, though rain in the forecast later this week may delay it a bit more. The two-week outlook calls for above-average temperatures with near-normal rainfall chances.

Corn is at or near full maturity, with grain moisture currently ranging from over 30% down to about 24%. The warm forecast should continue to dry the corn down in the field. Plant diseases such as southern rust, tar spot, and Goss’s wilt are widespread this year, even in fields that had a fungicide treatment. Some farms were even sprayed twice. Prolonged leaf wetness and wind damage created favorable conditions for disease and weakened stalks, making it critical to prioritize harvesting fields with poor stalk integrity to minimize losses. Overall, corn yields are expected to be well above average, though results will vary widely.

Soybeans are also maturing rapidly. Early-maturity varieties should be ready for harvest in the next 7–10 days, weather permitting, while full-season beans remain mostly green and likely won’t be ready until early to mid-October. Some beans are dying premature from diseases like sudden death syndrome, brown stem rot, or white mold. Pod counts are generally above average, and we had enough moisture available in August to fill the pods. I expect strong yield potential outside of disease-affected spots.