Southeast Iowa Crop Conditions

Heavy rains in some areas (10+ inches) have caused flooding and put a temporary stop to harvest activities. Most of the extreme amounts were further north and amounts to the southeast of Storm Lake were more moderate and manageable. If there was any flooding, not much crop was lost as the ponds were in areas that were already drown out much earlier in the season.
Operators were able to get back into the fields on Monday, although field conditions were questionable.Soybean harvest is likely approaching 10% complete in the area as the early maturity soybeans have come down to ideal harvest moisture of 12-13%. The biggest obstacle as we really get going on soybean harvest will be the forecast for the next 2 weeks showing moderate chances of showers and storms almostevery day. Farmers will be quick to take advantage of any clear/dry days to make progress in the soybeans. Yields so far have been well above average with some farmers reporting record highs for
specific fields.

Early corn harvest has also been a pleasant surprise as grain moisture levels have been surprisingly low(below 20%) for this point in the season. The below average moisture is welcome when considering the costs of drying the crop but the concern will be with harvest loss as the crop must stand in the field until farmers are able to get to it. There are already some stalk quality issues showing up from the warm and wet growing season. We need to avoid any severe wind with the upcoming storms to ensure the corn will still be standing when the combine enters the field.

Pictures like the one below are the reason the yields may not be quite as good on some farms as they are on others. It is also why guessing overall farm yield will be so difficult this year.