Iowa saw a mixture of cooler temperatures and widespread rainfall (Aug. 6-12), with the heaviest amounts in the northeastern and southwestern portions of the state, according to the Aug. 13 Iowa Crop & Weather report.

“Iowa has seen some welcomed relief, with cooler weather and light precipitation for much of the state,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “Soybean condition improved for the first time in nearly two months. But more moisture is needed, as crops remain stressed.”

The report said 94 percent of corn has reached the milk stage; 80 percent has reached dough stage; 45 percent has reached the dent stage; and 7 percent is now mature, with corn condition rated 22 percent very poor to 1 percent excellent.

Clarke McGrath, Iowa State University extension field agronomist, said stalk strength and standability will be a challenge this year, as well as ear drop, where “a lot of ears (are) already hanging down, and shanks in many fields are small and weak, compared to normal.”

In soybeans, the report said pods are set on 88 percent of plants, with soybean condition now rated 14 percent very poor to 1 percent excellent. In addition, the third-cutting alfalfa hay harvest is 88 percent complete.

But McGrath said pods “often are dry well before the rest of the plant, meaning we have to choose to grind through green, stemmy plants to get the beans at optimum harvest moistures, or we wait and run the risk of dry beans and increased shatter loss,” which increases the likelihood of spider mite damage.

The rains of July have stopped and temperatures have turned cooler, but the crop situation in the state remains bleak for the most part. The latest information from the NASS Kentucky field office contained very little good news.

The report listed Kentucky’s corn crop as being 44 percent very poor, 34 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 5 percent good and 1 percent excellent. For that lucky 1 percent, the latest corn price from QuoteCorn.com listed the crop at over $8.07 per bushel.

Many farmers are cutting their corn for silage. So far, 4 percent of the crop has been harvested.

Soybeans are improving slightly. The NASS report rated the crop as being 19 percent very poor, 28 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 20 percent good and 4 percent excellent.

Tobacco remained steady, as crop growth is about the same as this time last year. Nearly 50 percent of the burley crop has been topped, with 6 percent cut. Eighty-three percent of the dark tobacco crop has been topped and 5 percent has been cut.

The set tobacco condition was listed as 8 percent very poor, 14 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 35 percent good and 9 percent excellent.

Pastures have improved, but not drastically. The NASS reported conditions to be 27 percent rated as very poor, 25 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 16 percent good and 2 percent excellent.

A limited early harvest of corn for grain began in the Volunteer State during the week ending Aug. 12, according to NASS.

The report stated a third of the corn crop is physiologically mature. Corn remains in poor to fair condition, with 27 percent fair and 29 percent poor. The rest of the state’s crops remain in fair to good condition.

Soybeans, which have 40 percent of the crop in good condition, have begun to drop leaves but most of the crop is blooming and setting pods. Cotton has 49 percent in good condition and 37 percent fair, according to the report.

Topsoil moisture levels were rated 9 percent very short, 29 percent short, 56 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 18 percent very short, 35 percent short, 43 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus, the report stated.

“Corn harvest continues on a limited number between showers. About 10 percent of the crop has been harvested, with yield reports between 40 to 140 bushels per acre for field averages, with 70 to 80 bushels being the most common yield reported,” said extension agent Ed Burns of Franklin County.

“Soybeans continue to improve, the bulk of the full-season beans filling pods and double-crop beans in full bloom to early pod set. A few early-maturing beans beginning to yellow and shed leaves. Producers applying fungicides and finishing up herbicide applications. Cotton continues to improve, and setting bolls.”

“Drought conditions continue to take (their) toll. Have heard of corn yields on dry land corn ranging from 30 to 120 bushels per acre. Expecting worm pressure to build in soybeans during next couple of weeks, with reports of corn earworm/bollworm moth flights numbers on the rise,” stated Dyer County agent Tim Campbell.

“High temperature and little precipitation have soybeans on the ropes. Some soybeans are beginning to drop leaves. Corn harvest has started, with reported yields in the 30 to 120 bushel-per-acre range,” reported Jeff Lannom of Weakley County.