Week of heat pushes Iowa crops – Brownfield Ag News

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Week of heat pushes Iowa crops

Hot, dry conditions pushed crop development in Iowa last week.

USDA’s latest weekly crop update says 61 percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage, five days behind last year and one day off the five-year average.

North Iowa farmer Brent Renner tells Brownfield it’s been an up and down growing season.

“It seems like every other week I’m kind of impressed with where we’re at, and then something happens and it’s like ‘oh.’ It’s been a two steps forward, one step back type of year.”

The Klemme corn and soybean grower says he’s not sure when harvest will begin.

“I think it’s also going to be very variable, and really depends on if we can get some rain here in the next week to ten days. I’m starting to see things change quickly, but most of those changes are in isolated spots where there’s some sandier soil or whatnot.”

Iowa’s soybean crop is developing a little slower than normal with 18 percent coloring and two percent dropping leaves.

And the state’s third cutting of alfalfa reached 88 percent, which is a week ahead of the usual pace.