Harvest season to begin ‘ramping’ up, little change in crops from last week

A farmer harvest crops along U.S. 20 in central Iowa on Sept. 22, 2024. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
September 23, 2024

Iowa had another unseasonably warm week as corn and soybean harvest got underway.

Nine percent of soybeans in Iowa have been harvested in Iowa, up from 1% last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly crop progress and condition report for the week of Sept. 16 through Sept. 22.

Corn harvest increased only 3% from last week, bringing the total of corn harvested for grain to 5%. Corn and soybean maturation is at or above the five-year average for this week with 93% of corn at the dent stage or beyond and 88% of soybeans coloring or dropping leaves.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the fields are ready in many parts of the state.

“Though rain this past weekend may have slowed progress for some, harvest will continue ramping up throughout Iowa,” Naig said in his comment on the report.

Parts of the state saw an inch or more of rain, but rainfall was still below normal for the third week in a row, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan. The average temperature for the reporting period was also 10.6 degrees above normal. Washington and Osceola reported temperatures as high as 94 degrees.

The U.S. Drought Monitor from Sept. 19 showed all of Iowa in abnormally dry or worse conditions. Accordingly, topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions have also declined from last week’s report.

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