Stifling heat to close out July did little to slow the 2026 crop’s development, according to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For the week ending July 26, farmers had six days suitable for fieldwork, 2.4 days more than the same week last year.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “The week started with severe weather and ended with stifling temperatures and humidity. Thankfully, the high temperatures will break over the next few days with chances of thunderstorms returning. As I’ve traveled across Iowa in recent weeks, I’ve generally seen strong crop conditions, though wind, hail and pockets of both excessive rainfall and persistent dryness have created some variability. Many areas could certainly use a good rain.”
Topsoil moisture conditions rated 36 percent short to very short, 61 percent adequate, and three percent surplus, while subsoil measured 35 percent short to very short, 62 percent adequate, and three percent surplus.
An estimated 87 percent of the corn crop is silking, about six points ahead of last year, and 28 percent of the crop was in the dough stage, four points behind last year. Soybeans blooming reached 80 percent, while 48 percent of the crop is setting pods, both metrics just slightly behind 2025.
Corn conditions rated 80 percent good to excellent, while soybeans were at 78 percent good to excellent. Statewide precipitation for the week averaged 0.99 inches, 0.1 inch above normal, and the average temperature was 72.2 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal. Cooler temps before the heatwave over the weekend brought the week’s average down.
Read the full report online at www.nass.usda.gov.
