The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that the percentage of Iowa’s corn crop rated good to excellent declined to 67 percent for the week ending Sunday from 73 percent a week earlier, due primarily to shorfalls of rain.
The USDA said “cooler conditions have been welcomed by both crops and livestock; however, the desire for rain gets stronger with each passing dry day. Farmers are now waiting for moisture and waiting for the crops to mature to see what kind of year it has really been.”
The USDA said the 67 percent good to excellent rating is “1 percentage point below normal average.”
The percentage of Iowa’s soybean crop rated good to excellent dropped from 75 percent last week to 70 percent.
State Climatologist Harry Hillaker said Iowa averaged .43 inch of rain last week compared to a normal .97 inches.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said “now that the heat has broken, farmers are looking for some precipitation. Much of the state is dry and drop and pastures could use some rain. August is a critical time for soybean development.”
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/08/15/lack-of-rain-cuts-crop-conditions/?
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