SE Iowa corn harvest ahead of state average, soy falls behind

DES MOINES — Statewide corn and soybean harvests are about a week ahead of last year’s on average, according to the latest Crop Progress & Condition Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Another week of dry weather allowed several days for fieldwork as the harvest continues.

“Late-season warmth persisted across Iowa during the reporting period with positive departure approaching 12 degrees over portions of northern Iowa,” State Climatologist Justin Glisan said in the Crop Progress report. “The statewide average temperature was 69.1 degrees, 9.6 degrees above normal. A quiet storm track also limited rainfall over much of the state with many stations reporting no measurable totals.”

The report for the week ending Oct. 1 said 92% of the corn crop had reached maturity statewide, while 87% of soybeans were dropping leaves. Southeast Iowa trailed those metrics, at 91% for the former and 78% for the latter.

The region’s corn harvest is 20% complete, according to the USDA, well ahead of the 16% completion average for the state, which is itself four days ahead of the five-year average.

Southeast Iowa’s soybean harvest, meanwhile, is the second furthest from completion of any region in the state, at 14%. That’s well behind the 24% reported across Iowa which is on par with the five-year average.

The southeast region’s topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions are “very short” in 48% and 56% of fields, respectively. Both numbers are 20 percentage points above the statewide average.

Last month’s crop production report, released Sept. 12 by the USDA, forecast corn production at 2.52 billion bushels, up 2% from 2022, with an average of 200 bushels per acre. A graph provided by the USDA shows that forecast about on par with production numbers in 2021.

The USDA’s nationwide report said data as of Sept. 1 projected “the highest number of ears on record” for several states, including Iowa, this harvest season, and forecast national production of the grain at 15.1 billion bushels, which would be the second highest amount on record.

Soybean production in Iowa went the opposite direction, forecasting 572 million bushels, a 2% decrease from the year prior with a yield of 58 bushels per acre. If that projection is accurate, it would continue a downward trend for the state’s soybeans since production peaked in 2021 at nearly 650 million bushels.

National data looks decent for that crop as well, with the USDA saying nine of the 11 biggest soybean producing states reported pod counts above those in 2022.

The USDA’s next Crop Production report for Iowa is scheduled to release Oct. 12.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com