The current planting season in central Iowa is wrapping up, and by most accounts it was the fastest and most successful season in several years.

ISU Extension Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson says this year has been the polar opposite of previous years, with the conditions near perfect for early growing. She says there have been a few bumps in the road, such as an abnormally dry April and unseasonable cold temperatures in May, but she points out that in the long run those shouldn’t have much effect on the crops. “So we did have some crops that were emerged and in some cases (we) saw just a little hint of maybe some frost damage over this last weekend. But for the most part, the good news is that our crops are pretty resilient to this frost early in the season, and we did not get as cold as some other areas in the state. So hopefully we will not see much damage as a result of that.”

For last week, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reports there were 4.7 days suitable for field work. Around 91% of the expected corn crop has been planted, almost a month ahead of last year and two weeks ahead of the five-year average. One-third of the corn crop has emerged at this time. For soybeans, around 71% has been planted, also a month ahead of last year and two weeks sooner than the five-year average.