Iowa endured yet another week of unusually hot and dry weather, making it the hottest start of the summer season since 1936. Temperatures statewide average 7.3 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Harry Hillaker with the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship. The statewide average precipitation for the month is 0.10 inches while normal for the week is 1.00 inches.
Similar weather has affected 29 states, making it the largest area of the contiguous United States affected by such dryness in nearly 60 years, the largest area of the United States to be impacted in nearly 60 years. With deteriorating crop conditions, there have been reports of some farmers starting to chop corn. Applying fungicide was the week’s most common field activity.
Given the current conditions, it’s no wonder U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday announced new flexibility and assistance in USDA’s major conservation programs to help livestock producers as the drought in the U.S. intensifies. Vilsack also plans to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period for farmers on unpaid insurance premiums – given some farming families will likely struggle to make ends meet at the close of the crop year.
Click on the drop-down menu below to see how crops are faring in each region across Latham Country.
Each week, our Regional Sales Managers provide crop reports from their territory, sharing crop progress, diseases or pests to watch for and corresponding management tips, and practices that will help you maximize yield potential in your particular growing conditions.
When I sit down to write articles for our blog, I feel like I'm sitting down with my family at the dinner table, ready to talk about 