Harvest is underway in Southeast Iowa

DES MOINES — Iowa’s corn and soybean harvest time has arrived, according to the latest Crop Progress and Condition Report, released by the USDA and National Agricultural Statistics Service on Monday.

The report, which covered the week ending Sept. 22, said about 6% of Southeast Iowa’s corn had been harvested by that date, as well as 4% of the region’s corn. That’s more or less on par with statewide numbers: 5% for corn and 9% for soy, respectively.

The grain still in fields isn’t necessarily ready to come out yet, however. The USDA said only 73% of Southeast Iowa’s corn was mature by the end of last week, while just 46% of soybeans were dropping leaves. That may be a result of this year’s abnormally late planting window for many farmers, driven by heavy rainfall in May.

The USDA’s data confirmed unusually hot and dry weather for the reporting period. Although a largely rainy growing season gave farmers a boost this year, more recent weeks of low humidity and high heat have impacted soil conditions.

In Southeast Iowa, last week ended with 20% of farmers reporting “very short” topsoil moisture, along with 10% for subsoil moisture. That’s compared to 44% and 47% “short” soil moisture levels, and 36% and 43% of fields with “adequate” levels. The USDA report did not show any of Southeast Iowa with a soil moisture surface, although about 1% of the state overall was wetter than ideal.

“Unseasonable warmth persisted through the last week of astronomical summer with most Iowa stations reporting temperatures eight to 12 degrees above normal,” State Climatologist Justin Glisan said in his weekly report, which is published alongside the USDA’s crop progress assessment. “Rainfall was below normal for the third consecutive reporting period with the driest conditions in eastern and extreme western Iowa.”

Arid conditions have exploded across the state in the last few weeks. On Sept. 10, the Iowa Drought Monitor showed 65% of Iowa under “abnormally dry” conditions, but zero counties under proper droughts.

In Southeast Iowa, the map at the time showed dry spots in Lee County, Des Moines County, and the southeastern corner of Henry County. 10. But in its last update, published Sept. 19, the monitor showed 100% of Iowans experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions, with the state’s northeastern and southwestern edges facing a “moderate drought.”

Glisan’s report showed Washington County and Clarke County tied for the statewide high last week, a stifling 94 degrees on Sept. 20.

Some light rainfall early this week hasn’t given experts much hope of changing weather.

“Drought conditions may worsen this week in spite of early week rainfall,” the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities said Sept. 22 on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Mainly dry conditions are expected this week.”

  Buy Photo

As of Sept. 24, an Iowa Environmental Mesonet data station in Crawfordsville showed just over a fifth of an inch of precipitation recorded in the entire month. While August was much wetter — at one point clocking 1.46 inches of rain in a single day — that month also finished without precipitation totals surpassing average levels for the time of year. Another Iowa Environmental Mesonet site near Wellman showed similar rainfall patterns in both months.

Crop conditions have largely held up, despite the dry weather. Although regional data wasn’t included in the USDA report, it said Iowa’s overall corn, pasture and soybean conditions rated 77%, 48% and 78% good or excellent. Most of the remainder rated “fair,” although 14% of pastures are in “poor” or “very poor” shape.

The numbers reflect a marked worsening for pastures, which rated 71% good or excellent in the Hawkeye State in July. Corn and soy conditions, meanwhile, have improved since then, by about 1-2%, according to the USDA report.