Wet spring slows crop progress in NWI

You don't need to be a meteorologist to guess the main theme of this year's planting season in northwest Iowa.

Area fields have been inundated with water this spring – so much so that many locations are already approaching precipitation totals from all of 2023. The deluge has slowed the 2024 planting season significantly, with some farmers still waiting to get soybeans in the ground.

"Most of the corn is wrapped up, but the farther east you go, there are quite a bit of beans that have to go in," said Alic Mohni, an agronomist with New Century FS in Hartley. "Most of the beans around Hartley are wrapped up, but there are still some people with really wet ground that are waiting. The Royal area is the worst as far as that goes."

According to Monday's Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the state just experienced one of the Top 10 wettest Mays on record. Though it helped drench Iowa's long-running drought, it produced destructive severe weather in many areas and caused widespread planting delays.

Ninety-three percent of the expected corn crop has been planted statewide, almost two weeks behind last year and five days behind the five-year average. Corn emerged reached 81 percent, six days behind last year. Corn condition rated 73 percent good-to-excellent.

Eighty-four percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 12 days behind last year but equal to the average. Sixty percent of the state's soybean crop has emerged, one week behind last year and two days behind the five-year average. The first soybean condition rating of the season was 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 14 percent excellent.

Mohni said statewide numbers aren't a good indication of what's happening in northwest Iowa, as many farmers who aren't waiting on beans will have to replant certain areas in drowned-out fields.

"I feel it's not giving a very good picture of what's going on around here," Mohni said. "We have some widespread issues going on, and the numbers are not showing that."

Mohni reported most early-planted corn is in the V3-V4 stage.

"That stuff is pretty uneven, and the stands just aren't there," he said.

Corn planted later is in the V2-V3 stage and showing signs of better condition.

"The last stuff is just kind of emerging and is looking more even," said Mohni. "It'll be interesting to see moving forward if having the more even stands are better or if getting it planted earlier is better."

For those with crops in the ground, weeds are now an issue.

"Those have really started to come along the last few weeks and a lot of guys are getting antsy to get some spraying done," Mohni said.

Additionally, nitrogen leeching has been a concern with the heavy spring precipitation and will be monitored closely during the growing season.

Moving forward, Mohni said farmers are hoping the rainclouds stay at bay for a much-needed respite.

"We've pretty much caught up to last year as far as precipitation, and we really need it to dry out for a bit so everything can start to take off," he said.