Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

Planting season is about to kick off in this area. Very little seed is in the ground as of now, but I’m guessing about half of the farmers will start this weekend by (April 13th). The other half will wait for more consistently warm soil which will likely be at the end of April or in May. The reason some farmers are ready to get started soon is the very warm weather expected over the next 4 to 5 days along with near perfect soil moisture conditions currently. On the flip side, a good reason to hold off on planting is looking at the longer-range forecast of rain early next week followed by a cold snap starting on April 18th and lasting 4 or more days.

We want the soil temperature to be 50 degrees or higher for planting corn. Today the 4-inch soil temp is just under 50, but it should reach well over 60 degrees this weekend. We also want to have a warming trend immediately after planting. It’s important to have soil temps above 50 degrees during the first 48 hours after it’s planted to avoid chilling injury which can affect germination. Corn can tolerate a cool down after that period (like what’s forecasted), but it will delay emergence and could possibly reduce stand depending on how long it lasts. Planting early can maximize yields by extending the growing season, but a quality stand is also needed for top yields. So, the decision of when to plant can be a difficult one.

This region received above average rainfall over the past 30 days. NW Iowa is no longer in drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Anything is possible for the weather this summer, but for now we are in good position to start this growing season.