Field crops in Guthrie County are starting to really grow now that it’s June.

Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Mike Witt says that with spring having been a little cooler, corn and soybeans grew slowly, but that now that temperatures are starting to climb, the growing process is speeding up. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the fields have also recently gotten some much needed water.

“Well, the moisture levels in the soil, we’ve been actually able to get some decent and timely rains in the Guthrie County area. Especially we’ve gotten over the last couple of weeks, a couple inches of rain that has come through. So therefore with that, our topsoil moisture is really at about that, 60 percent of it is going to be in that adequate (range). We don’t have too much in the surplus, but that’s okay. We don’t necessarily need to have waterlogged soils at this time of year, but we’ve got enough in that topsoil that we’re looking good, that as these plants develop, they’re able to reach down a little bit deeper into the profile and get some of that going with that soil moisture.”

Witt mentions that he hasn’t heard too many reports of insects being an issue in fields, but that temperatures have reached a heat level that would allow about 50 percent of corn rootworm eggs to hatch, and they will begin eating on the roots of corn plants. He adds that this means in the coming weeks, farmers will be able to watch and see just how much damage the worms may be doing, if control methods are working, and if there are going to be any yield losses.