Nearly Half of Iowa Corn at the Dent Stage

Your support keeps truth alive in Decorah—donate to local news today! Forty-five percent of Iowa corn acres have reached the dent stage and soybeans are just beginning to color, with nearly all, or 90%, of the crop already setting pods, according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn and soybean crops are a day or two behind the five year average schedule on several progression stages. Corn in the dough stage reached 88% which is three days behind the average for the Aug. 18 through Aug. 24 reporting period. Corn acres rated 84% good to excellent and soybean acres rated 79% good to excellent, a slight drop from the previous reporting period for both crops. The report also noted disease pressure continued to rise in Iowa crops. Field agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach noted continued presence of southern corn rust and sudden death syndrome, along with a slew of other diseases and pests have been present across the state. Oat harvest is nearly finished in the state at 97% completion, and nearly 80% of alfalfa hay acres have had a third cutting. Crop phenological stages: — Corn in dough stage: a thick or dough-like substance is present in all kernels. — Corn in dent stage: all the kernels have dented, ear is firm and no milk is present in the kernels. — Soybeans setting pods: pods are developing on lower portions of the plant, with some blooming still on top of plant. — Soybeans coloring: pods begin to reach mature color. Farmers had nearly 6 days suitable for field work this week and enjoyed high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s later in the week due to a cold front that pushed in. "Farmers across Iowa enjoyed a welcome break from the rain last week along with cooler temperatures and less humidity," Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement. Naig said the cooler temperatures are forecast to hang around for the remainder of the month. Despite the cool temperatures through the weekend, the average temperature for the reporting period was still 1.3 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, who said temperatures were "unseasonably warm" for most of the period. Ames logged the highest temperature for the week, which at 97 degrees Fahrenheit was 16 degrees above the normal. Northeastern parts of the state had "unseasonably" high precipitation totals early in the week, with some areas logging as much as 6 inches of rain. The average precipitation across the state was 0.87 inch, just slightly below the normal of 0.93 inch. Join the community of savvy subscribers (for free)! Get the latest updates, tips, and insider information by subscribing to the free newsletter today.