Harvest is nearly complete in some parts of Iowa

Harvest continued at a rapid pace last week despite widespread heavy rainfall in the southeastern half of the state, and nearly all the corn and soybeans have been taken from fields in northwest Iowa, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Statewide, about 89% of corn and 97% of soybeans have been harvested. That is well ahead of the five-year average for both crops — 11 days ahead for corn and nine days for beans.

The areas of the state that are furthest along in harvesting corn include the northwest at 98%, north-central at 94% and southeast at 92%.

Heavy rainfall late last week totaled more than 4 inches in parts of south-central Iowa, and virtually all of the southeastern half of the state had at least an inch, according to report by State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

The statewide average rainfall of about 1.5 inches was about triple the amount that is normally expected, and it came days after the U.S. Drought Monitor rated the state drier than it’s been in nine years. A new report that will take that rainfall into account is set to be released Thursday.

Parts of northwest Iowa that are suffering from the worst drought conditions did not get sizeable rainfall.

Available soil moisture was buoyed by the rains: nearly half of the state’s topsoil now has adequate or surplus moisture compared with less than a third a week ago.