Southeast Iowa Crop Conditions

The weather continues the dry pattern. The last measurable rain that small pockets SE of Storm Lake received was back on August 8th. Corn fields are showing drought stress with many fields having some form of “tip back” or aborted kernels near the top of the ear. Fortunately, temperatures have stayed reasonable during that timeframe. Even with the dry conditions, I have been pleased with kernel counts found in most fields.

Soybeans are not immune to the dry conditions. Most have entered into the critical stage of development, from a yield stand point. Plants are filling pods with seeds. Rainfall will directly affect seed development. Lack thereof will result in smaller seed size or aborted seeds. Conversely, additional rain will aid the seed size and improve the chances of less aborted seeds. Many soybean fields are well podded with the potential for a good crop. I expect once harvest arrives, many producers will find large swings in yield throughout the field. Similar to last fall. The better soil types with high fertility will shine while poorer quality soils or soils with low fertility will struggle.

As of this writing, there is good chance of rain SE of Storm Lake today. Time will tell if it arrives. The short term weather outlook is also favorable. There are multiple chances of precipitation in the 10 day forecast with daytime temperatures reaching the upper 80s and nighttime lows dipping to the low 60s.