Iowa Crop Conditions Continue to Deteriorate as Drought Expands: Farmers Say They're Losing Yield

Some areas of Iowa received rain over the holiday weekend, but in general crop conditions in the state are below a year ago and deteriorating. Corn is rated 59% good to excellent, down 11% from the previous week and down 18% since the start of the season. Soybeans are rated 54% good to excellent, down 10% on the week and down 14% from the start of the growing season. 

Dryness and drought conditions are also expanding and intensifying with some areas of northwest Iowa going on their second year of drought. As a result, crop stress is showing up early for farmers as they continue to miss forecast rains. 

Mark Nelson, is a farmer from Correctionville, Iowa. "Tiles in a lot of places haven't run for a year if not two. I know last year Woodbury County National Weather Service recorded the second-lowest precipitation on record. I think 1933 was number one. According to the rain gauge at my place, I'm actually behind versus last year from May through end of March through end of May."

The beans are stunted, and the corn is visibly showing the impact of not just dry conditions, but also heat with highs in the 90s the past two weeks. 

Justin Petersen farms near Danbury, Iowa and says the heat is taking its toll on the crop. During the day, the corn in sandy spots and on hills is curling up, he says, so he worries there could be permanent damage for this type of heat stress.

Nelson believes he’s already losing top end yield with conditions worse than recent drought years.

"We weren't worried about the crop at this point in 2012 and we are now," he says. "And the highest usage days are coming up, and some of the hottest days are coming up, and there's absolutely nothing in the tank. There is nothing in the soil."

Central Iowa had better subsoil moisture, but spring precipitation is still running below normal. Charles Lloid farms near Nevada, Iowa.

"So, we're probably down 35%, 40% right now on moisture that we took away," he says. "A lot of the tiles are still flowing, but they're kind of drying up to a little bit."

Lloid is optimistic the crop hasn’t been hurt yet but says rain is critical in the next two weeks, or they’ll shave top end yield. "You know, it's hard to figure out, but probably 20% at least by July," he says. "And the thing is, it just depends how much and when I'm getting a couple little showers and a few tenths here and there's not really doing [anything but] maybe keeping the dust down."

However, corn is rooting deeper with the stress, and if those areas receive moisture they could rebound and see some surprisingly strong yields like in 1992 when the state started the season equally as dry but had some July rains and raised a record crop.