Harvest in Iowa off to slow start due to weather

Iowa's corn and soybean harvest is off to a very slow start due to wet weather in the week that ended on Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported 5 percent of the corn crop and 9 percent of soybeans have been harvested, compared with the five-year average of 26 percent of corn and 42 percent of soybeans.

There were just over three days last week suitable for fieldwork. Farmers were hoping for drier field and crop conditions to enable substantial harvest to begin.

With almost all of Iowa's corn acreage in or beyond the dent stage, corn maturity reached 79 percent, six days behind the five-year average. Moisture content of all corn in the field, at 27 percent, continued to delay harvest.

Seventy-six percent of Iowa's corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition.

With almost all of the soybean acreage turning color, 85 percent of the crop was dropping leaves or beyond, just behind average. Soybean harvest was 9 percent complete, the lowest percentage harvested by this date in more than 30 years.

Seventy-four percent of the soybean crop was in good to excellent condition.

Topsoil moisture was rated 4 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.

Southwest Iowa was the wettest with almost half of its topsoil in surplus condition.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 95 percent complete, almost two weeks behind the five-year average.

At Dyersville Sales, the top price for big square bales was $220 per ton. Round bales topped at $145 per ton, with the bulk of the round bales $10 to $15 per ton lower than a week ago.