Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

Corn and soybeans look relatively good in this area. Most corn has completed pollination successfully. The cool weather slowed the process down, which is a good thing. T he soybeans are setting pods while simultaneously growing more leaves and branches. T hey are small f or this time of year. Weather this past week was favorable f or crops. Most areas received at least some rain, and cooler temperatures reduced stress f or the areas still short of moisture. Most crops look good right now, but it’s easy to forget they are behind schedule and recent cool weather is slowing down crop progress even more. T he crops need some warmer weather but not without continued rain.

The grain markets are mostly lower. T he consensus seems to be that this year’s crop is going to be record size, so traders are about as negative to prices as they can be. I believe there will be some sort of rally in the grain markets sometime before harvest but first the market needs to establish a bottom.