The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report shows that crops continued to mature rapidly over the past week and that parts of south central and southeast Iowa remain in extreme drought status. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey says, “There are a handful of fields across the state that have been combined, but we are likely a week or two away from widespread harvest.” There is some corn being chopped for silage and seed corn harvests are underway across the state. Eighty-eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage or beyond, eight days behind last year and three days behind the five-year average. Thirty percent of corn had reached maturity, six days behind last year. Harvest reports are showing corn conditions declined slightly to 59 percent good to excellent. Seventy-four percent of soybeans were turning color or beyond, two days behind last year but one day ahead of the average, and 31 percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, just one day behind the average. Scattered soybean fields across most of the state have been harvested with conditions dropping to 58 percent good to excellent.
