Drought Conditions Persist in Portions of Iowa

(Illinois Farmer Today) – It was mostly dry in Iowa with above normal temperatures, according to the Sept. 18 USDA Crop Progress report. Statewide there were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork last week.

With increased heat and little moisture, crops matured rapidly in the past week. Activities for the week included seeding cover crops, spreading manure, harvesting seed corn, chopping corn silage, and hauling grain.

Northwest: Ross Mogler

We had about two-tenths of an inch of rain. More silage is being cut and I am hearing of good yields. Nice weather in the eighties helped the crop out. All the bean fields are turning yellow. They are calling for more rain so we hope to finish chopping and get our cover crops seeded before that happens.

North Central: Andy Hill

It was dumbfounding to see the crop changes in the last week. Any crops that didn’t have moisture went into rapid maturation. The corn is everywhere from one-quarter milk line to black layer, depending on soil conditions. Some beans died while others were still green. Then we got about 1.5 inches of rain Saturday and the crops greened up a bit again. That is going to lead to wide variability.

Northeast: Mark Mueller

Insurance adjuster’s preliminary silage estimate of 30 tons/acre and 210 bushels/acre will better last year’s yields. The dairy didn’t need as many acres this year to fill their bunker. The cereal-rye and tillage-radish cover crop seeded afterward received the first severe drizzle in a month. Soybean leaves are hastening to yellow while stems are just as determined to remain green.

West Central: Cale Juergensen

We had about one and seven-tenths inches of rain Saturday night. I think that might be the first good rain in three weeks. We started on the early soybeans and did about 100 acres. They combined well with about 12 percent moisture and yields in the upper fifties. I would guess they were about 10 days ahead of last year.

Central: Cole Van Genderen

We had some beans that still had leaves that were at 8 to 10 percent moisture this past week. We got about an inch of rain Saturday night, so hopefully that will boost those moisture levels. Things are uneven. The guys who have already harvested beans have been happy with their yields.

East Central: Dave Guthrie

The beans really turned. Even the corn turned a lot. The 105 day corn is black layered. My pastures are pretty well gone. It’s been too long without rain to make anything grow. There’s a couple guys around here combining some beans.

Southwest: Weston Brandt

We had about an inch of rain and that was welcome. That should help some pastures. We got our rye seeded for the cover crops after chopping silage so the moisture should help that rye get established. Nobody is in the field combining yet but a few got their rye seeded.

South Central: Alex Brownlee

The beans are really starting to turn and a few guys are starting to roll with the combines. We got about one and two-tenths inches of rain Saturday night. Right now every little bit of rain helps. Hopefully this will green up pastures and hayfields a little bit.

Southeast: Trent Stout

Guys started combining corn. Some have been taking beans out for a week or so. Things look better than expected from the combine seat. There have been some cover crop applications aerially. We got anywhere from six-tenths of an inch to an inch of rain on Saturday. I think there is a lot of stalk rot around.