A long stretch of hot days in June increased the growth rate in crops all around Iowa. 

Guthrie County Field Agronomist Mike Witt says the heat this past week was needed after the rain showers in  Guthrie and Greene counties to speed up the growth of corn and soybean crops. Witt says both corn and soybean conditions are rated in the good to excellent.

“The corn is really really looking good and really responding to that moisture that we got and the soybeans as well. They are a little behind but they’re looking really good as far as crop conditions.” 

Witt says the soil moisture profile in the area at the moment looks good even with the recent larger rain storms and flooding. 

“That did allow that moisture to move in and soak down into the soil. So we do have fairly good soil moisture conditions compared to areas further to the west where they’re starting to see drought conditions start to creep in.”

According to the latest Crop Progress and Condition Report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture, warm and dry conditions allowed for 5.8 suitable fieldwork days which largely included spraying crops and cutting hay.