Corn planting is 10 days ahead of the five-year average in Iowa according to the weekly Crop Progress and Condition report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Eighty-six percent of the expected corn crop has been planted, and north central and central Iowa farmers have less than 10% of their expected corn crop left to be planted. Corn emergence improved to 22% complete, an increase of 20 percentage points from the previous week. Just over two-thirds of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 15 days ahead of the five-year average. Six-percent of the expected soybean crop has emerged, five days ahead of normal. The first hay condition rating of the season was 4% very poor, 7% poor, 31% fair, 51% good, and 7% excellent. Statewide there were 5.1 suitable days for fieldwork last week, and field activities like spraying and applying anhydrous and dry fertilizer was slowed down by sporadic rains.