The United States Department of Agriculture released their weekly crop progress and condition report, and there’s concern for farmers statewide about whether their fields will be ready on time for harvest.

According to the report, last week there were 5.8 days suitable for field work, with activities including wrapping up fungicide and insecticide applications and harvesting hay. As of now, around 86% of the corn crop was in or beyond the dough stage, which is 12 days behind last year and 10 days behind the five-year average. Additionally, 41% of the crop reached the dented stage, two weeks behind 2018 and nine days behind average, with only 1% reaching maturity, 11 days behind average. Corn condition is rated 62% good to excellent.

As for soybeans, 90% of the crop has started setting pods, 18 days behind last year and 12 days behind average, while 3% has started coloring, 11 days behind average. Soybean condition is rated 60% good to excellent. ISU Extension Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson agrees with the USDA report, saying what she’s seen in central Iowa is farmers trying to catch up. “Well, I would say that we are definitely behind where we would like to be or where we would expect to be this time of year, especially for our corn crop. I’ve seen some bean fields that are starting to turn, some of the early maturing beans, but we are really lagging behind given the kind of cooler weather that we’ve been having. And the short heat this week will help, but it looks like we’re going to turn cool again here over the weekend.”

Anderson adds, many of the late-planted crops are potentially in trouble of not reaching maturity, particularly if there is an early frost this month. She says if the cold holds out until October – as is typically expected – it shouldn’t affect yields, but a frost this month would hamper results for many farmers.