Wet field conditions last week limited Iowa’s farmers to just 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Field activities included seeding cover crops, chopping silage, and harvesting hay, seed corn, soybeans, and corn for grain. At this time last year 86% of the state’s corn was mature and at this time only 36% is mature. In southeast Iowa 42% of the corn is mature.

Southeast Iowa’s soybeans are behind the state’s overall progress. Currently, 49% of Iowa’s soybeans are dropping leaves and in southeast Iowa only 30% of soybeans are dropping leaves. At this time last year 86% of the soybean crop had dropped leaves.