Northwest Iowa Crop Conditions

This is the last crop report of the season for Northwest Iowa. Harvest is complete except for a few farms. We had 6 to 8 inches of snow last week, but warmer weather this week should melt it. It looks like tillage and anhydrous applications are done for the year, because of wet soil and frost. Typically in December we get an opportunity to get tile installed (before frost is too thick) also dry fertilizer, manure, or lime applications. Farmland is fairly saturated now, so we could easily have another wet spring to contend with.

Corn and soybeans turned out about as good as could be expected in NW Iowa, but there was a ton of variability between farms. Drainage was probably the biggest factor separating yields between farms and regions, which is a common them in recent years. Farms with sufficient drainage (natural or added tile) have been reaching the best yields because of earlier planting, healthier roots, and more available nutrients. Like always, there were lots of other factors and management decisions that made a big difference this year on crops. Some things can be changed or improved for next year and others are out of our control.

I will start sending crop reports again next spring. We wish you a very Happy Holiday season!