Continued dry weather and above normal temperatures allowed Iowa farmers nearly seven days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sunday, October 13th according to the latest Iowa Crop Report from the USDA. Field activities included harvesting corn and soybeans, baling corn stalks, applying manure and fertilizers, and fall tillage.
Corn reached 97 percent mature or beyond. Corn harvested for grain reached 45 percent, three days ahead of last year and six days ahead of the five-year average.
Corn moisture content fell two percentage points to 16 percent. Corn condition rated 76 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans dropping leaves or beyond reached 98 percent. Nearly one-quarter of the soybean crop was harvested during the week ending October 13th, reaching 81 percent complete, six days ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of the average.
Farmers in south-central Iowa remain considerably behind farmers in the rest of the state with just 54 percent of their soybean crop harvested.
