As some Iowa farmers have gotten off to an early start on harvest, crop maturity continues to advance across the state.
The weekly Crop Progress and Conditions Report on Monday showed corn in or beyond the dent stage reached 87% in Iowa, three days ahead of the 5-year average. Almost one-third of the corn crop has reached maturity, two days ahead of normal. Iowa?s corn condition rated 59% good to excellent. There were scattered reports of corn for grain being harvested.
USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey notes a big national jump in corn maturity for the week ending September 12th.
?US corn mature was 37% on September 12th,? said Rippey. ?Compare that to last week?s 21%, so nearly a doubling of corn maturation in the last week. Five-year average pace for corn maturity on September 12th is 31%. A year ago, we were just a little bit quicker at 39% mature. We do have three states into double digits compared to their five-year average ahead of normal; Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota.?
The report showed Iowa?s soybeans coloring or beyond reached 67%, three days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 30%, also three days ahead of normal. Soybean condition was rated 62% good to excellent. There were a few isolated reports of soybeans being harvested during the week.
Rippey says drought is the reason some states are seeing soybeans dropping leaves at a faster than normal pace.
?The state ? among the 18 reporting states ? leading the way in soybeans dropping leaves is North Dakota,? said Rippey. ?They are leading all states ? even the south ? at 67% dropping leaves. Fifty-three percent is the five-year average. Unfortunately, that acceleration of progress is largely due to drought.?
The latest Crop Progress and Conditions Report can be viewed here.
