Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

Recently the weather has been mostly cool and dry, but we are getting some light rain this morning which is welcome. The past few weeks were beneficial to crops and very comfortable for us. Most of this region could use more rain, but I wouldn’t say the crops are stressed at this point. Overall, the weather through the second half of summer (so far) has been about as good as we could ask for after the rough start to the season.

Most corn looks good in this area and is on schedule to mature on time. The yield potential looks to be highly variable. Where the corn had a good start, it looks like it will yield above average. The April or May planted corn is well into the milk stage or early dough stage. Most kernels are yellow on the outside and milky white on the inside. The corn planted (or replanted) in June is behind schedule, but it still has time to finish before the first killing frost typically in early October. The number of kernels are now set but not kernel depth or test weight. Favorable weather through the rest of August will increase yield through kernel weight. The cool temperatures will delay maturity and could lead to wet corn at harvest, but I’m not too concerned about that yet. Sothern rust is the most common plant disease we are seeing in corn fields not sprayed with a fungicide. Also, nitrogen deficiency is a fairly common issue, but there’s nothing we can do to add nitrogen at this point.

Soybeans will benefit from August rain even more than corn, so we could use one or two more rain events this month. The soybeans are filling pods while making new pods. They are nearing their maximum height for the season. This is the most important stage for determining bean yield. Most of the beans in this area look healthy, but some are smaller than normal because of late planting or saturated soil. Aphids are the biggest issue we are seeing lately. Even some fields that were already sprayed once with an insecticide are getting reinfested after the residual chemical wears off.

The grain markets continue to trend lower. The USDA report on Monday was especially bearish for soybeans because of higher-than-expected acres and yield expectations. Hopefully the drop in corn and bean prices is making the US competitive in the world market to the point that exports increase. Without improving demand, it looks like this grain market will continue to struggle into harvest with big supplies coming.