News
Nearly 80% of Iowa’s corn crop rated good to excellent in first condition rating of the season
The planting pace in Iowa remains about two weeks ahead of normal.
In its latest weekly crop progress report, the USDA says 97 percent of the state’s intended corn acres are planted, compared to the five-year average of 90 percent.
Corn emergence, at 75 percent, is five days ahead of normal.
The first corn condition rating of the season puts 78 percent in the good to excellent category.
Southeast Iowa farmer Ross Paustian tells Brownfield he planted into a rye cover crop that was about a foot tall.
“And now that first corn we planted, you can row that looking down through the brown rye (that was terminated). So yeah, we’re in pretty good shape now, we’re getting rain.”
The Scott County farmer is done planting and says they needed the rain.
For soybeans, 89 percent of the crop is planted and 53 percent has emerged.
Topsoil moisture ratings have improved with recent rains and are 82 percent adequate to surplus. But subsoil moisture remains a concern with 40 percent in the short to very short category.
