Five area counties are now classified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as in a severe drought. This includes all of Greene and Guthrie Counties, nearly all of Carroll and Audubon Counties and about two-thirds of Calhoun. Twenty-seven other counties in western Iowa have now totally or partially entered into a moderate drought classification, with well over half the state considered short on moisture. According to the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending July 26, these drought conditions have resulted in the statewide average topsoil moisture at 11 percent very short and another 27 percent short. “Drought conditions continued to expand across western Iowa over the last week,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig. “Some parts of the drought region did receive much-needed rainfall. Forecasts show we should expect seasonal temperatures and additional chances of isolated storms through the last week of July.” Corn silking or beyond is at 87 percent, 12 days ahead of last year and three days ahead of the five-year average, but the conditions have dropped considerably over the past couple of weeks, down to 77 percent good to excellent. Soybean blooming reached 85 percent just over two weeks ahead of last year and six days ahead of the average, but the drought has impacted the overall crop, now rated at 76 percent good to excellent. The full report can be found by logging on to nass.usda.gov/ia.
