DES MOINES, Iowa — As unseasonably cooler temperatures settle across the Midwest, Iowa has also experienced severe drought and Indiana a lack of rain, with farmers irrigating crops, while fieldwork in Kentucky and Tennessee has slowed due to thunderstorms and heavy rains.

 

“As the dry weather continues, we see the portion of Iowa in drought continuing to expand and crop conditions deteriorate,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, commenting on the Aug. 14 Iowa Crop & Weather report. “Unfortunately, 40 percent of the state, including portions of 23 counties, is now in severe drought.”

For the most part, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin are around normal or above for moisture, said Clarke McGrath, Iowa State University agronomist and on-farm research and extension coordinator at its Iowa Soybean Research Center.

“There are some areas in Missouri and Minnesota that are dry, but not nearly the number of acres as Iowa,” he said. “Nebraska, the Dakotas and Iowa are being hardest hit by the drought.”

In fact, according to the Aug. 8 U.S. Drought Monitor, Iowa’s region of drought expanded to 40 percent of the state. “We didn’t (have) the best start this spring and the drought just compounded the problems.”

In the Hoosier State, soil moisture has decreased as a result of the lack of rain over the past couple of weeks, said Greg Matli, USDA Indiana state statistician. “Some areas are starting to show signs of drought stress,” he said. “Pollination is nearly complete with issues being reported in some areas. Spotty showers have been inadequate for proper growth of crops, leading farmers to continue irrigating fields.”

In Illinois, dry, cool weather prevailed across most of the state with 6.2 suitable fieldwork days, the average temperature at 69.2 degrees and precipitation averaging 0.4 inch. Kentucky had below-normal temperatures and above-normal rainfall, precipitation totaling 1.5 inches and temperatures averaging 72 degrees. “Topsoil moisture was rated 3 percent very short, 22 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus,” said David Knopf, director of the USDA’s Kentucky field office.

He added subsoil moisture was rated 4 percent very short to 2 percent surplus, with only 5.6 suitable fieldwork days.

Conversely, mild temperatures continued to provide favorable growing conditions in Michigan, helping crops rebound from extreme rains earlier this year in the central and northern parts of the state.

“Warm days and cool evenings helped reduce some suffering,” said Marlo Johnson, USDA Great Lakes regional office director, “but crops were showing signs of moisture stress in the southern part of the state.”

In Ohio, aside from sporadic rainfall, most of the Buckeye State received little to no moisture, leaving farmers with only 5.9 suitable fieldwork days, said Cheryl Turner, USDA Ohio state statistician.

“For many growers, the drier conditions add additional challenges to an already difficult season. Excessive moisture earlier in the season caused nitrogen loss and delayed critical post emergence operations.”

In Tennessee, spotty thundershowers – some heavy – returned to the state, slowing fieldwork, but bringing welcome moisture to the Volunteer State, said Matt Webb, Marshall County field agent.

“Fields are wet,” he said. “Five inches was reported in Lewisburg (Aug. 11), resulting in flash flooding issues. Bermuda grass stem maggot has been found in the county, but weather is not cooperating with producers to spray for the pest.”

In Iowa, corn was 62 percent in or beyond the dough stage, 8 percent reaching the dent stage, with corn condition ranging from 3 percent very poor to 9 percent excellent. In addition, Iowa soybean blooming reached 94 percent, with 82 percent setting pods, and crop condition rated 4 percent very poor to 7 percent excellent. Ninety-five percent of oats for grain or seed was harvested, and the third cutting of alfalfa hay was 65 percent complete.

In Illinois, corn dough was at 77 percent and corn dented at 26 percent, with corn condition rated 3 percent very poor to 12 percent excellent. Soybean blooming reached 97 percent, with pods setting at 83 percent, and condition rated 3 percent very poor to 11 percent excellent.

Regionally, Matli said Indiana corn was 58 percent in dough (in the north), 69 percent (central) and 74 percent (south), denting 15 percent (north), 21 percent (central) and 26 percent (south). 

 

Indiana soybeans are 93 percent blooming (in the north), 94 percent (central) and 90 percent (south), with 76 percent setting pods (north), 81 percent (central) and 76 percent (south), rated 62 percent in good to excellent condition (north), 52 percent (central) and 56 percent (south). 

 

“Mint and potatoes harvest is in full swing,” Matli said, but “there have been reports of armyworms in alfalfa fields in the southwestern portion of the state.”

In Kentucky, Knopf said corn harvesting has begun in areas that received favorable weather. “Some producers reported corn stress due to dry weather during pollination. Even with the sometimes adverse conditions, corn was rated 79 percent good to excellent. Soybeans were rated as 74 percent good to excellent.

Tobacco was in mostly good-to-fair condition, based on producer reports.”

In Michigan, Johnson said corn was maturing nicely in the upper two-thirds of the state. “Further south, sections of the corn crop began to turn brown due to lack of moisture,” he said. “Some parts of the state were experiencing white mold in the soybeans, but overall the crop was faring quite well. Producers were combining oats and wrapping up the winter wheat harvest. Sugar beet harvest will be starting soon and second-cutting hay harvest was still underway.”

In Ohio, Turner said corn silking is 95 percent; dough is 55 percent; and denting is 6 percent. Soybean blooming is 91 percent; pod setting is 73 percent, with corn condition at 2 very poor to 12 excellent, and soybean condition 3 very poor to 11 excellent.

In Tennessee, corn producers were getting ready for harvest, while other row crop producers were busy with weed control, with hay producers working on their second or third cuttings and some Bermuda grass pastures showing signs of stem maggot infestation.

In addition, the state’s corn silking is at 100 percent; dough is 90 percent; and denting is 52 percent. Soybean blooming is 92 percent; pod setting is 79 percent, with tobacco topping at 78 percent. 

 

Overall, without some significant rainfall in the next couple of weeks to quell Iowa’s severe drought, McGrath said farmers “won’t see much fall growth in the pastures, which not only creates feed shortages this fall and winter but often leads to a slow start for pastures next spring– meaning more hay will have to be fed.”