With the limited amount of rain in Raccoon Valley Radio listening area has put strain on some crop fields. 

Guthrie County ISU Extension & Outreach’s Field Agronomist Mike Witt explains that the dry conditions have put some serious strain on soybean fields and disrupted their pod development. He is optimistic that soybeans can still make a lot of yield production in August with moisture and for corn it’s about filling out those kernels for yield. 

 “I would rate crops probably in that good, excellent type of scenario right now. Now there’s going to be some fields people will look at and say there is no way it meets that criteria. But overall, a lot of the fields in Guthrie County and Green County area are still looking fairly good with a lot of that moisture we were able to get.”

Witt says the cooler temperatures as of late will help the area crops yield production instead of conserving moisture. He adds pests he’s seen are soybean gall midge and larger insects. According to the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, last week there were 6.1 suitable fieldwork days for farmers and that included cutting and baling hay and applying pesticides and fungicides.