(Via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Corn rated nearly 90% good to excellent during the reporting period from July 21 through July 27, while wet conditions limited farmers’ activities in the field, according to the latest crop progress and condition report.  Iowa crops continue to progress slightly ahead of schedule while above-average temperatures and precipitation caused humid conditions and in some cases, caused excessive soil moisture.

Across the state, topsoil moisture went from 21% surplus last week to 30% surplus this week. Subsoil moisture conditions also increased to 24% surplus, up from 17% last week.  According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, the weekly average precipitation was 1.58 inches for the reporting period, which is 0.61 inches above the normal. Some regions of the state, however, received as much as 7.2 inches during the reporting period and southeastern Iowa had between 3 and 5 inches.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said with only a couple of days left in July, it “could rank among the top ten wettest Julys on record. Last week was hot and muggy as a heat dome settled over the Midwest, producing some sweltering heat and humidity,” Naig said in a statement. The average temperature for the week, at 77.5, was more than 4 degrees above normal. Temperatures throughout the period were between 2 and 6 degrees above the 30-year average.

Soybeans also rated 82% good to excellent for the reporting period and 81% of soybean acres were blooming. Soybeans are five days ahead of last year and two days ahead of the five-year average in terms of setting pods, as 52% of the crop across the state has reached that stage. According to the report, nearly half of Iowa oat acres have been harvested, with higher percentages of harvest completed in southern regions of the state.

Oats rated 83% good to excellent and hay rated 86% good to excellent.  Across the state 87% of alfalfa hay acres have had a second cutting and 28% have undergone a third cutting. Pasture conditions also rated well at 82% good to excellent, though according to the report, some livestock stress was reported on account of the heat and humidity.