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Nearly all Iowa corn and soybean planting is complete

Iowa corn
Posted at 1:23 PM, May 31, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-31 14:23:42-04

Virtually all of Iowa’s corn seed is in the ground, and soybeans aren’t far behind, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

As of Sunday, about 98% of the state’s corn crop was planted, which is 11 days ahead of the five-year average. About 94% of soybeans were planted — 15 days ahead of the average.

“Nearly all of Iowa’s corn and soybeans are now planted thanks to the seasonal temperatures and unseasonably dry conditions over the past week,” said Mike Naig, the state’s agriculture secretary.

Last week was nearly devoid of rainfall, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan. There were pockets of precipitation in western Iowa that all amounted to less than a half inch. All told, the average deficit across the state was about an inch.

There is an anticipated shift to wetter conditions, but last week regressed with drought expanding in western Iowa, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. About 29% of the state is suffering from some measure of drought. That report is nearly a week old and doesn’t reflect the dryness of most of last week.

The USDA report also noted a significant shift in available moisture in topsoil. About 50% of the state’s cropland has adequate or surplus moisture. That’s down from about 75% the week before.

About 85% of the state’s corn crop has emerged from the ground, and 77% of it is rated good to excellent.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

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