In general, Iowa crops remain in very good condition with both 83% of the corn and 83% of the soybeans rated either good or excellent. That’s according to USDA’s latest weekly statewide survey as of July 31.

“Fortunately, most areas of the state have an adequate reserve of soil moisture as we head into August. August is a critical time for crops, especially for soybean development,” notes Greg Thessen, director of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service office in Des Moines. He oversees the weekly crop conditions survey in Iowa. Nationally, 76% of the U.S. corn crop is rated good to excellent, while soybeans are at 72% in that category as of the end of July.

GOOD GROWTH: With the forecast of rain and hot and humid conditions returning to Iowa this week, corn and soybeans will continue on their current track of growth and development. Both crops are maturing rapidly, ahead of last year and the 5-year averages.

The complete weekly Iowa Crop Condition & Weather Report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship website IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site nass.usda.gov/ia . The report summary follows here:

CROP REPORT: Relatively dry conditions throughout the week were ideal for crop development and allowed Iowa farmers 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 31, 2016, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included cutting hay and aerial spraying of corn with fungicide and insecticide.

About 35% of Iowa corn has already reached dough stage

Topsoil moisture levels rated 2% very short, 10% short, 82% adequate and 6% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2% very short, 12% short, 81% adequate and 5% surplus.

Iowa’s corn crop reached 95% in the silking stage, five days ahead of last year and almost two weeks ahead of the five-year average. Thirty-five percent of the corn crop reached the dough stage. Isolated reports of corn starting to dent were received from across the state. Corn condition rated 83% good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 90%, six days ahead of the previous year.

Soybean crop in Iowa is now rated at 83% good to excellent

Iowa’s soybean crop reached 64% setting pods as of July 31. That’s five days ahead of last year. Soybean condition rated 83% good to excellent. And 78% of the oat crop for grain or seed was harvested, two days ahead of both last year and the average.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93%, more than two weeks ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 28% complete, six days ahead of average. Hay condition was rated 73% good to excellent, while pasture condition was rated 61% good to excellent. Reduced temperatures improved livestock conditions which were reported to be good.

Last week was the driest week in Iowa in 11 weeks (since mid-May)

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY—for week ending July 31 2016

By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

It was a dry week with seasonal temperatures across Iowa. Temperatures averaged slightly above normal in most areas through Wednesday (July 27) and below normal for the remainder of the reporting week. Temperature extremes varied from Wednesday afternoon highs of 90 degrees F at Sioux City and Donnellson to Saturday (July 30) morning lows of 51 degrees at Sheldon and Spencer. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 0.6 degrees below normal.

Statewide average rainfall was only 0.18 inches, normal is 0.94 inches

No rain of consequence fell over about one-half of the state with most of central, south central and southeast Iowa recording no rain at all in the past week. There were isolated thunderstorms on several days, but coverage was minimal. There was a small area of an inch or more of rain from western Crawford County down to Cass County on Wednesday. Similar storms popped up over the northeast and southeast corners of Iowa on Friday with localized amounts of an inch or more rain in northern Fayette, southern Allamakee and portions of Washington and Louisa counties.

The maximum rainfall reported for the week was from Yellow River State Forest in southeast Allamakee County with 2.55 inches. The statewide average precipitation was 0.18 inches while normal for the week is 0.94 inches. This was the driest week in 11 weeks (mid-May).