News

Iowa crops heading into the home stretch

As they head into the home stretch, Iowa’s crops are in generally good shape and pretty much on schedule.

The corn crop is rated 81 percent good to excellent with 57 percent dented or beyond, about three days behind normal.

Soybeans rated 76 percent good to excellent with 11 percent turning color, two days behind the five-year average.

Last week was unseasonably cool, with the statewide average temperature nearly 6 degrees below normal. Statewide average precipitation for the week was just over one-and-a-half inches, six-tenths of an inch more than normal. Heavy rains rolled through north-central Iowa late last week with unofficial reports of nine to ten inches from southeast Webster and southern Hamilton counties.