Wet fields kept many Iowa farmers out of the combine last week, putting both the corn and soybean harvest behind last year’s pace.
The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report shows farmers had just 1.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 27. That’s compared with 6.2 days during the same week last year.
Only 5% of Iowa’s corn has been harvested, nine percentage points behind last year. Seventy-two percent of the crop has reached maturity, while corn condition is rated 75% good to excellent.
Soybean harvest is also moving slowly. Just 3% of soybeans have been harvested, 12 percentage points behind last year. Sixty-two percent of soybeans are dropping leaves, and 74% of the crop is rated good to excellent.
The wet conditions are reflected in soil moisture numbers. Thirty-nine percent of Iowa’s topsoil and 27% of subsoil are now rated as having surplus moisture.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says September is on track to be one of Iowa’s warmest and wettest on record. He says farmers are ready to get combines moving as soon as fields dry enough to support harvest equipment.