Crop stress reported in Iowa fields

by | Jun 15, 2021 | 5 Ag Stories, News

The weekly Crop Progress Report on Monday said Iowa farmers are seeing signs of crop stress in fields due to lack of precipitation and high heat.

USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey notes it?s not only Iowa that?s feeling the impacts of hot and dry weather over the last several weeks.

?If you look at some of the individual states, we continue to see our greatest stress on corn in the Upper Midwest,? said Rippey. ?The Dakotas came in with the highest numbers. Double digit very poor to poor ratings in North Dakota at 19 percent. Two weeks ago that number was 10 percent. In South Dakota, 13 percent very poor to poor for corn. Two weeks ago that number just 2 percent.?

?Just like corn,? Rippey continued, ?we?re seeing our lowest soybean crop conditions across the Northwestern Corn Belt. North Dakota did see some much needed rain, but it did also remain hot. We saw a stabilization of conditions there. Soybeans are 30 percent very poor to poor. That?s a 2 point improvement from last week?s 32 percent. Twelve percent very poor to poor for the soybeans in South Dakota, the same as last week.?

In Iowa, corn emergence is nearly complete except for some re-planted fields. Iowa?s corn condition rated 63% good to excellent, 14 percentage points below the previous week. Statewide, soybeans emerged reached 93%, 9 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean condition rated 61% good to excellent, 12 percentage points worse than last week. There were scattered reports of soybeans blooming.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reach 87% complete, 6 days ahead of normal. Hay condition fell to 55% good to excellent. Pasture condition dropped to 41% good to excellent. High temperatures were stressful for Iowa livestock.