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More dry weather speeds Iowa’s harvest

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 25th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa farmers are making good progress on the harvest as well as fall field work as the dry weather continues. The weekly crop report on Monday says the dry spell is affecting soil moisture, with topsoil moisture levels at 35 percent very short and 37 percent short.

The report shows 71 percent of the corn crop has been harvested, which is about two weeks ahead of the five-year average. Fifty-nine percent of the corn is in good to excellent condition. The soybean harvest is 95 percent complete, more than two weeks ahead of the average pace.

Rain totals for the week ranged from none over much of the northeast two-thirds of Iowa to .22 inches at Underwood in Pottawattamie County in western Iowa.