North Iowa Farmers See Wet Week as Crops Outpace Last Year

MASON CITY, Iowa — North Iowa farmers saw one of the wettest weeks of the growing season last week, as a stormy statewide pattern brought flash flooding to the region even as corn and soybean development continued to run ahead of last year’s pace, according to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report.

The report, released Monday by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, covers the week ending Aug. 16 and is compiled weekly by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“Last week brought widespread rainfall across much of Iowa, including several rounds of thunderstorms and a derecho that developed in eastern Iowa before continuing across parts of the eastern Corn Belt,” Naig said. “Pleasant weather over the weekend brought out some great crowds for the Iowa State Fair. While there are some lingering chances for storms this week, fairgoers can expect plenty of sunshine and seasonal temperatures.”

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s accompanying weather summary, a broad high-pressure system parked over the southern U.S. set up a “Ring of Fire” pattern that repeatedly funneled thunderstorms across the state through the week. Northern Iowa saw clouds and highs in the low 80s early in the week before a severe overnight storm system expanded across the region into Tuesday, Aug. 11, part of a larger complex that later produced a derecho in eastern Iowa. A separate overnight complex on Aug. 13-14 brought multiple flash flood warnings to northern Iowa as storms trained over the same areas, according to the report.

Statewide, farmers had just 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, 1.8 days fewer than the same week a year ago, the report said. Topsoil moisture was rated 64 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus, while subsoil moisture was rated 63 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus.

Crop development continued to outpace last year across Iowa. Corn silking reached 99 percent, 1 percentage point ahead of last year, and 83 percent of the crop had reached the dough stage, 6 percentage points ahead of last year. Corn condition was rated 78 percent good to excellent statewide. Soybeans blooming reached 96 percent, on par with last year, with 82 percent of soybeans setting pods, also matching last year’s pace; soybean condition was rated 78 percent good to excellent. Ninety-six percent of the state’s oat crop had been harvested, 6 percentage points ahead of last year, and pasture condition was rated 67 percent good to excellent.

Statewide, the average temperature for the week was 76.7 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal, and rainfall was well above average, according to the report. Weekly totals ranged from 0.36 inch in New Market in Taylor County to 9.45 inches in Wapello in Louisa County, with a statewide average of 2.60 inches — nearly triple the normal weekly average of 0.88 inch. The week’s high temperature, 95 degrees, was recorded in Lamoni in Decatur County on Aug. 11; the week’s low, 48 degrees, was recorded in Greenfield in Adair County on Aug. 12.

The full report is available on the USDA’s website.