Iowa corn silking jumps ahead following hot, dry week

After several weeks trailing last year’s pace and the five-year average, corn development in Iowa has jumped ahead according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

According to the report, 38% of Iowa corn acres were silking as of the July 6-July 12 reporting period, which is 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average pace and 5 percentage points ahead of 2025’s crop. It also represents a large jump from the week prior, when just 8% of corn acres in the state had reached the silking phase.

One percent of Iowa corn acres have reached the dough stage, which is behind the 2025 crop and the five-year average by several percentage points. 

Corn condition remains fairly stable as the report rated 78% of corn acres as in good or excellent condition. Soybeans rated 74% good to excellent for the reporting period. 

The percentage of Iowa soybean acres blooming also jumped ahead during the most recent reporting period. At 56% blooming, the crop was ahead of last year’s pace by 5 percentage points and ahead of the five-year average by 6 percentage points. 

Sixteen percent of soybean acres were setting pods during the reporting period, which is slightly behind last year’s crop, but ahead of the average. 

In contrast to the months’ worth of rain received at the top of the month, the July 6-12 reporting period was “unseasonably dry” according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan who reported a statewide weekly average precipitation of 0.66 inch. 

The majority of fields had “adequate” soil moisture conditions, according to the report. Top soil rated 73% adequate moisture and subsoil rated 69% adequate for the reporting period. 

Stu Swanson, chair of Iowa Corn Growers Association and a farmer in Wright County, said his cropland is “a little on the short side” in terms of moisture, as he farms just north of where heavy rains left some fields with excess water the first week in July. 

“I would take some more rain, but the previous two years, we’ve had excess rain and really suffered production wise because of it,” Swanson said. “So I’d rather be just on the dry side instead of just on the wet side.” 

Speaking on July 10, Swanson said his soybeans were in the beginning stages of setting pods and his corn acres were starting to throw up tassels and begin silking. 

“Next week will really be a real key week in the state of Iowa for corn pollination,” Swanson said, adding he hoped the temperatures would stay somewhat cool. “A little cooler the next week or 10 days would set us up for a really good fall and harvest.” 

Iowa’s statewide average temperature for the reporting period was 77.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which was more than 2 degrees above the normal temperature for the reporting period. 

Climate outlooks from the National Weather Service predict temperatures likely above average for the coming week and precipitation amounts slightly below the normal for the state.