DES MOINES — Persistent rain has put the brakes on Iowa’s 2026 harvest, leaving farmers with barely one day suitable for fieldwork last week as both corn and soybean harvests fell well behind last year’s pace.
The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report shows farmers had just 1.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 27, compared with 6.2 days during the same period last year.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said farmers are ready to get back into their fields after weeks of wet weather.
“Wet conditions persisted last week, with much of the state receiving above-average rainfall. This month is on track to go down as one of the warmest and wettest Septembers on record for the state of Iowa,” Naig said.
“As we move into October, warm weather is expected to continue, and we may finally get a break from the rain. Farmers are eager to harvest their crops and will be ready to get combines rolling as soon as the fields dry out.”
The wet conditions are showing up clearly in harvest numbers.
Only 5 percent of Iowa’s corn crop had been harvested as of September 27, nine percentage points behind last year’s pace. About 72 percent of the corn crop had reached maturity, six percentage points behind last year, while 97 percent had reached the dent stage.
Despite the harvest delays, Iowa’s corn crop continues to look strong, with 75 percent rated in good-to-excellent condition.
Soybean harvest is running even further behind.
Just 3 percent of Iowa soybeans had been harvested, 12 percentage points behind last year. Sixty-two percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 18 percentage points behind the 2025 pace.
Soybean condition was rated 74 percent good to excellent.
The state’s pastures also benefited from the moisture, with 70 percent rated good to excellent.
Iowa’s soil moisture numbers illustrate just how dramatically conditions have changed following repeated September rainfall.
Topsoil moisture was rated 59 percent adequate and 39 percent surplus, leaving only 2 percent rated short and none reported very short.
Subsoil moisture was rated 64 percent adequate and another 27 percent surplus. Eight percent was short and just 1 percent very short.
Rain continued to soak Northern Iowa during the reporting period.
Burt in Kossuth County received 1.68 inches during one round of rainfall, while Sibley in Osceola County recorded 1.47 inches.
Additional rain moved through northern and eastern Iowa Saturday. By Sunday morning, Cedar Falls had recorded 1.04 inches and Waterloo received 1.25 inches.
One of the largest weekly rainfall totals anywhere in Iowa was recorded in Northern Iowa.
Eagle Grove in Wright County received 3.61 inches during the week — the highest weekly total cited in the state report. By comparison, Dubuque Regional Airport recorded just 0.19 inch.
Statewide, Iowa averaged 1.26 inches of rain for the week, substantially above the normal 0.80 inch.
Temperatures were cooler than normal during the reporting week despite September as a whole being on pace to rank among Iowa’s warmest.
The statewide average temperature was 59.8 degrees, about 0.9 degree below normal.
Northern Iowa also recorded the coldest temperature highlighted in the weekly report. Mason City Municipal Airport in Cerro Gordo County dropped to 42 degrees on September 23, four degrees below normal for the date.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan said rainfall remained above normal across Iowa during the week, although conditions were not as exceptionally wet as during the previous two weeks.
The immediate question for Iowa farmers is now how quickly fields can dry.
With only 5 percent of corn and 3 percent of soybeans harvested heading into the final days of September, a stretch of dry October weather could quickly send combines into fields across Northern Iowa and the rest of the state.
Naig said current expectations offer farmers some reason for optimism: warmer weather is expected to continue as Iowa moves into October, with the possibility of finally getting a break from the persistent rainfall.
The Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report is released weekly from April through November by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship providing the accompanying weather summary.
Who cares ? People in all walks of life in Iowa are suffering from the weather and high fuel costs. Don’t see any poor me articles about any other hardship except farmers. Everyone is sick of hearing it.