East-central Iowa crop yields take hit from record drought, early reports indicate

As the 2023 harvest comes to a close, farmers in east-central Iowa are seeing variable but lower than normal crop yields.

Lower yields concentrate in areas hit hardest by drought, like Benton and Linn counties, said Rebecca Vittetoe, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist for east-central Iowa. Earlier this month, that region marked the epicenter of the worst drought on record in Eastern Iowa.

For Iowa as a whole, the USDA forecasts average corn yields to reach 199 bushels per acre — one bushel less than its prediction last month. Its soybean yield forecast held steady at 58 bushels per acre. Forecasts for both crops are marginally less than last year’s yields.

The 10-year average corn yields for Benton and Linn counties hover around 195 bushels per acre. So far, Vittetoe has heard corn yields vary from 130 bushels per acre to more than 200 bushels per acre this year. Last year’s corn yields hovered around 218 bushels per acre.

Soybean yields in Linn and Benton counties will likely also be down this year, Vittetoe said, with early reports varying between 40 to 60 bushels per acre. Last year, the counties’ average soybean yields were around 65 bushels per acre. Historic average yields rest around 57 bushels per acre.

“It wouldn't surprise me at all if our yields this year are lower than the 10-year average, just given the fact of how dry we were,” Vittetoe said.

At least 87 percent of the state’s soybeans had been harvested as of Monday, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress and condition report. Progress is one day ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of the five-year average. About 62 percent of Iowa’s corn had been harvested, coming in at two days ahead of last year and one week ahead of the average.

In east-central Iowa, where soybean harvest has largely wrapped up, farmers are seeing smaller than average bean sizes, Vittetoe said. Some producers delayed their harvest to wait for rain, hoping pods and beans would absorb that moisture and swell bigger. Smaller beans are harder to harvest and decrease total yields.

Local farmers are still working on harvesting corn crops, Vittetoe said, hoping to get as much done before cold weather creeps in. Temperatures may reach freezing in Eastern Iowa early next week, according to the National Weather Service Quad Cities bureau.

With harvest winding down, farmers are already looking toward next growing season — particularly how soil moisture is faring.

As of Monday, topsoil moisture conditions across Iowa rated 16 percent very short, 38 percent short, 44 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus, according to the latest crop progress and condition report. Subsoil moisture condition rated 28 percent very short, 43 percent short, 28 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Recent rains helped rid the exceptional drought — the most severe drought condition — plaguing east-central Iowa. Linn and Benton counties are now experiencing extreme drought, the second most severe ranking, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.

“The drought obviously played a big impact on how the year ended up,” Vittetoe said. “Any moisture we can get now before the ground freezes is going to help us to replenish some of that (soil) moisture going into next year.”

Eastern Iowa should see widespread rainfall into Thursday, ranging from half an inch to 1.5-plus inches.

Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com