There’s wide variability in corn and soybean maturity from field to field across Iowa as harvest 2017 gets underway. USDA’s latest weekly Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, based on the statewide survey as of Sept. 24, shows a little more than half (52%) of Iowa’s corn crop has reached maturity. That’s five days behind average.

Soybeans, on the other hand, are maturing closer to average. The survey shows 91% of the soybeans in Iowa are turning color or beyond — equal to last year and three days ahead of the five-year average. About 5% of the 2017 Iowa soybean crop has already been harvested. Soybean maturity does vary from area to area in the state. In northeast Iowa, farmer Mark Mueller at Waverly says, “The soybean leaves are hastening to turn yellow, while stems are just as determined to remain green.”

More harvesting will begin as fields dry out
In south-central Iowa where drought hit hard this summer, “the beans are really starting to turn and a few guys have already begun combining,” says Brett Weston, in Decatur County. “We got our rye seeded for the cover crop after we chopped silage. So the rain we’ve received last week and in recent days will help that rye get established.”

“Looking at the picture statewide, combines are just starting to get rolling, with 5% of soybeans now harvested. And I expect more farmers will be getting in the field this week when fields dry out enough from recent rain,” says Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey. “Also, I want to encourage everyone who works on the farm and those who are traveling through rural Iowa this fall to keep safety in mind during this very busy season.”

The complete weekly crop and weather report is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship’s website IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site nass.usda.gov/ia. The report summary follows.

Summary of Iowa crop conditions
There were above average temperatures and scattered rains throughout the state for the week ending Sept. 24, according to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included starting to harvest corn for grain and starting to harvest soybeans. Farmers were busy planting cover crops, spreading manure, hauling grain, finishing up chopping corn silage, harvesting seed corn and cutting hay.

Topsoil moisture (statewide average) rated 22% very short, 27% short, 50% adequate and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 21% very short, 33% short, 46% adequate and zero percent surplus.

Iowa’s corn crop has now reached 94% in dent stage or beyond, one week behind last year and three days behind the five-year average. Also, 52% of Iowa corn has reached maturity, five days behind average. Corn condition remained the same as the previous week at 59% good-to-excellent.

5% of soybean crop harvested
Looking at soybeans last week, 91% of the state’s crop was turning color or beyond, equal to last year and three days ahead of average. And 60% of soybeans were dropping leaves, two days behind last year but one day ahead of average. As of Sept. 24, 5% of the state’s soybean crop has been harvested, two days behind average. Soybean condition improved slightly to 60% good-to-excellent last week.

There were multiple reports of a fourth cutting of alfalfa hay being cut, and scattered reports of possibly being a fifth cutting in parts of Iowa. Pasture conditions declined to 48% poor to very poor. Livestock conditions were normal, although there were reports of water for cattle being an issue in parts of the state due to dry conditions.

Weather summary for Iowa
Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, provides the following summary for the week ended Sept. 24.

The past week began with dry weather and seasonal temperatures on Sept. 17. Rain was scattered statewide on Sept. 18 with light accumulations east and light to moderate rain over the west. The remainder of the week was unseasonably warm and humid. Daytime highs reached into the mid-90s in some areas from Sept. 20 through the weekend, while overnight lows were in the 70s nearly statewide on the night of Sept. 21.

Rains exceeded totals of last 3.5 months
Sept. 19 was dry, while thunderstorms brought rain to much of the southeast one-half of Iowa the evening of Sept. 20 into the morning of Sept. 21. Torrential rains fell over portions of Wapello, Jefferson and Scott counties, with storm totals including 7.75 inches near Ottumwa, 6.05 inches at Fairfield and as much as 6.76 inches in Davenport. Over much of Wapello and Jefferson counties, these Sept. 20 nighttime rains easily exceeded the totals of the previous 3.5 months combined.

On Sept. 22-23 it was dry statewide with the exception of thunderstorms over the extreme northwest corner of the state the evening of Sept. 23. A large area of rain began to move into western Iowa the afternoon of Sept. 24 but fell too late to be reflected in this week’s statistics.

Totals for week varied from a trace to 7.77 inches
Rain totals for the week varied from only a trace at Manchester to 7.77 inches just south of Ottumwa. The statewide average rainfall was 0.75 inch, just slightly below the weekly normal of 0.77 inch. Temperatures averaged 10.4 degrees above normal, with extremes ranging from Sept. 18 morning low of 46 degrees at Coggon and Manchester to an afternoon high of 95 degrees at Iowa City on Sept. 23.