Southeast Iowa Crop Conditions

Harvest has begun! Early maturity soybeans are starting to be harvested. Mid and later maturity soybeans are not ready yet, but the recent warm weather and sunshine have helped things progress quickly. Not much corn has been harvested yet, except for what was taken for silage and high moisture corn by cattle feeders. A light rain shower last night has harvested on hold this morning as they wait for fields to dry again.

Early reports of soybeans yields has been very good. Hopefully the mid and late maturity beans are equal or better. Soybean yields will vary by farm from many different factors including: rainfall, weed control, drainage, disease pressure, insect pressure, and fertility.

Corn is mature but moisture levels are still too high for harvest and safe storage at 22-30% moisture content. We would really like to have moisture levels below 20% before harvest, but if stand ability is an issue, corn may need to be harvested earlier. Some fields have poor stalk quality caused by moisture stress and disease pressure during the summer. Fields with poor stalks will be moved higher on the priority list to limit harvest losses. Corn yields look like they will be good, but likely not a record.