The lack of rain has caused Iowa’s corn crop to continue to decline. As of the August 7th USDA/NASS Crop Progress and Condition Report, Iowa’s corn crop was rated 64% Good/Excellent, 26% Fair, and 10% Poor/Very Poor. 95% of Iowa’s corn crop is currently silking, and 42% is in the dough stage.
Iowa soybeans are rated 59% Good/Excellent, 29% Fair, and 12% Poor/Very Poor. Overall, 89% of the soybeans in the state are blooming and 67% are setting pods, however the southern part of the state is behind the state average with less than 80% blooming and less than 55% setting pods.
Iowa pasture conditions have deteriorated throughout the summer due to the lack of rainfall. Only 4% is currently rated Excellent, 29% Good, 29% Fair, 23% Poor, and 14% Very Poor.
While much of Iowa is abnormally dry, parts of the state are suffering from moderate to severe drought. The Extreme drought in the Dakotas has taken a toll on their crop conditions. Only 4% of North Dakota’s corn crop is rated Excellent, and only 1% of corn in South Dakota is rated Excellent. North Dakota and South Dakota only have 2% and 3% of their soybean crops rated Excellent, respectively.
Click here to view an interactive map of crop conditions across the U.S.