Several days of rainfall helped many drought areas in the state and allowed farmers only 4.4 days for suitable fieldwork last week, according to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Field activities included harvesting hay, oats and corn silage and producers were getting ready for row crop harvest with repairs to equipment and bins. The state’s corn condition was the same as the previous week at 58% good to excellent. Corn in or beyond the dough stage reached 95%, one week ahead of the five-year average. Sixty-six percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage or beyond, four days ahead of normal with six percent of corn having reached maturity. Soybean condition also stagnated at 60% good to excellent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 18%, two days ahead of the five-year average. There were scattered reports of soybeans dropping leaves. Wind and heavy rain damaged some corn and soybean fields in north central, northeast and southeast Iowa. Pasture condition was rated 31% good to excellent. The week’s rains helped pastures show improvement as they greened up in some areas.