Farmers across South Dakota and eastern Iowa are breathing a sigh of relief into the weekend. That’s after rains hit parched crops, relieving some major crop stress for now.
The timely rains may have saved some of the crops in Eastern Iowa and South Dakota. Maps show many areas saw more than an inch of rain Wednesday into Thursday, even falling into pockets that had missed rains earlier this month. Prior to this week’s rains, only 31% of the South Dakota corn crop was rated good to excellent, the worst in the country.
An iweathernet.com map shows the additional rain that fell over a 72-hour stretch this week.
The rains this week could help further improve drought conditions in parts of the Corn Belt. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor produced positive changes, with the areas that saw drought conditions ease shaded in green.
