Iowa farmers welcomed widespread rainfall for the second straight week with the heaviest precipitation in East Central and South Central Iowa. Both corn and soybean conditions declined slightly for the week. The week’s activities included spraying crops and chopping corn.
          There were six-point-one days suitable for fieldwork in northwest Iowa during the past week. Topsoil moisture levels improved slightly to 52 percent very short, 32 percent short, 16 percent adequate, and zero percent surplus.
          Twenty-three percent of the corn in northwest Iowa has reached the dent stage, compared with 27-percent statewide, two weeks ahead of normal. Corn condition is reported at 20 percent very poor, 29 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 15 percent good, and one percent excellent.
          Pods are being set on 77 percent of the soybean crop statewide, ahead of last year’s 64 percent and the five-year average of 68 percent. In northwest Iowa, 65-percent of the beans have set pods. Soybean condition is rated 13 percent very poor, 24 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 23 percent good, and one percent excellent.