While there was a recent sizable rainfall, the recent dry conditions have continued to affect the crops here in Iowa.

According to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, topsoil moisture conditions are rated 24-percent very short, 29-percent short, 44-percent adequate and 3-percent surplus while subsoil moisture ratings came in 23-percent very short, 32-percent short, 43-percent adequate and 2-percent surplus. Dallas County Extension Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson says the conditions have been exceedingly dry over the last month or so.

“The way that we are noticing that this time of year is by seeing the soybeans flip over their soybean leaves and they take on kind of a gray color. In dramatic situations we start to see them turn kind of brown and then in corn it’s very similar they sort of tighten their leaves up and take a more vertical orientation and protect the upper side of those leaves.”

Anderson tells Raccoon Valley Radio the hopes are for the rain to continue to come but conditions are still considered dry. Anderson also says that people should continue to monitor for pests as well and the timetable for yield estimates is coming up.

“It’s about time to start doing yield estimates so if people are willing and able to go do that this is primetime to get out in our corn fields and start evaluating what we might expect at the end of the season.”

Corn condition dropped to 66-percent good to excellent which is 7-percent less than the previous week and soybeans fell to 63-percent good to excellent which is 8-percent lower than the previous week.