Iowa corn maturing ahead of normal in some areas

Iowa's corn crop is maturing ahead of schedule in some parts of the state with scattered reports of silking and tasseling in the week that ended on Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly update issued on Monday found 79 percent of the corn crop rated in good to excellent condition. Heat and lack of moisture stressed some crops, causing corn leaves to curl to conserve moisture.

Soybean condition was rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 5 percent, equal to last year and the five-year average.

Topsoil moisture levels declined to 8 percent very short, 21 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels also fell to 3 percent very short, 17 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.

Sam Kain, national sales manager for Farmers National who travels a seven-state area, said the corn crop looks good despite the decline of moisture levels in some areas.

'We used to say corn needed to be ‘knee high by the Fourth of July,' but I went to a family reunion on Sunday and noticed some corn in central Iowa that had already tasseled,” Kain said. 'I think our plant genetics have changed so much that corn plants will survive much better than they would have years ago.

'Twenty years ago, if we had some drought conditions, you might end up with 60- or 70-bushel yields of corn. Now, even with drought conditions, you still have yields of 100-plus bushels of corn.”

Iowa experienced highly variable weather conditions last week, ranging from almost no precipitation to heavy rain and isolated hail.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said most areas of the state had enough moisture for crops to handle the heat.

'Unfortunately, some areas continue to be too wet or too dry and these conditions are stressing the crop,” Northey said in a news release. 'The hay crop has been productive and we hope that continues.”

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 24 percent complete, almost a week ahead of average. Hay conditions was rated 75 percent good to excellent.