Crops are now in the reproductive stage, which has been helped by some recent rainfall. 

Landus Cooperative Field Agronomist Zach Minnihan says because of the rainfall that happened over the past two weeks that has pushed corn and soybeans along, but more rainfall is needed.

“So right now is really critical on timing, just because of where both corn and (soy)beans are staged at just in their reproductive kind of cycles. If we do catch some timely rains here, a nice inch, two-inches would be ideal, we should be sitting really good coming into that August-September time.”

Minnihan points out that during planting season, corn roots were able to get established right away, which has helped to provide for a strong growing season, despite some heat-related stress early on.

“Any type of rainfall now with a nice root system underneath it, you’re going to intercept all that moisture versus something where we had saturated soils and the roots don’t really need to move and they’re just in the top 7-8 inches of soil. In our area of Greene County, into Guthrie and Dallas (counties), we’re sitting really, really good.”

According to the latest Crop Progress and Conditions Report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture, last week, corn was rated 68-percent good to excellent and soybeans were 66-percent good to excellent across the state.