July rains mean bumper crops for some

The state's corn is a tale of two crops, according to an Iowa State University agronomist.

South of Interstate 80, where rainfall has been excessive, yields will be lagging. But in the northern two-thirds of the state, where rainfall has been ample and timely, bumper crops will prevail, agronomist Mark Licht said Friday.

'Crops north of I-80 look as good as they have in many years,” he said. 'They've generally had plenty of moisture but little drowning of crops and saturated soil.”

Those unfavorable conditions, however, are far too common in the southern third of the state, he said.

Tracy Franck's Buchanan County farm absorbed 3 inches of rain in July and said his crops are looking good.

'We've had ample amounts of timely rain but never too much at once,” said Franck, who has been farming more than 30 years. 'The stalks are tall, and we are not going to run out of nitrogen.”

Area farmers with tiled fields and strong plant populations are going to record 200 bushels per acre field averages this fall, he said.

Jason Russell, who farms east of Prairieburg, said most of the July rains missed him.

'We've had just 1 inch the whole month,” said Russell, president of the Linn County Farm Bureau.

Although a good rain would be welcome, Russell said his corn, sustained by ample subsoil moisture, looks fine,

'We've been lucky that high temperatures have been moderate. Corn needs twice the water when highs are in the mid 90s as it does with mid-80s highs,” he said.

Curt Zingula, who farms near Central City, said he recorded 2.25 inches of July rainfall at each of two locations - a welcome respite from the 9 inches that deluged his fields during a two-week period in June.

His soybeans, stunted and yellow at the beginning of July, have fully recovered, he said.

Zingula said he's sure the heavy June rains depleted some of his nitrogen fertilizer and that he is 'crossing his fingers” his corn won't run out before maturity.

ISU's Licht, who's involved in two yield forecasting projects, said the consensus at the end of July is that statewide corn yields will be at or above long-term averages.

A state average close to 180 bushels per acre seems likely, with countywide averages above 190 bushels per acre in some northern counties, he said.

The rainfall disparities were evident in the National Weather Service's July precipitation statistics.

At Lamoni, in far south central Iowa, rainfall totaled 9.08 inches, 4.22 inches above normal; and Burlington in southeast Iowa recorded 7.49 inches, 3.37 inches above normal.

July rainfall was substantially less than normal in Waterloo, Dubuque and Iowa City, which recorded totals of 3.35 inches, 1.2 inches and 2.68 inches respectively.

Cedar Rapids recorded 5.58 inches of rain in July - well above the 4.46-inch normal precipitation for the month, according to KCRG-TV9 meteorologist Kaj O'Mara.

July temperatures ranged from 1 to 2 degrees below normal at Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and most other reporting stations in Iowa.