Much needed rain slows harvest a bit

DES MOINES — Rains kept some farmers out of the fields at a key time last week as they tried to get the harvest completed.

Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says with the continued drought this year,  the rain created some mixed reactions. “When it comes during harvest, it certainly can throw a wrench into your progress. And so it’s much needed. It’s ill timed,” Naig says. 

Naig says the timing of the rain is something that was key for those farmers seeing good yields. “We may be short on rain overall. But if you got rain at the right time, that can make all the difference. So generally hearing some pretty good reports out of large swaths of the state,” he says.

The latest USDA crop report shows the harvest moved from 30 to 42 percent completed for corn last week, and from 52 to 74 percent completed for soybeans.   Naig says the rain last week may have been a nuisance for some, but it is important for next year. “I think we all know that it’s a blessing and we certainly will need to have that soil moisture replenished before we head into the 24 growing season,” Naig says.

The drop report showed topsoil moisture condition was rated 19 percent very short and 38 percent short last week, with just 40 percent adequate. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 31 percent very short, 43 percent short, with just  24 percent adequate and two percent surplus.