Iowa Farming Progress and Farm Health Status Report
Iowa Crop Progress Update: August 2025
Iowa's agricultural landscape is thriving as the crop progress report for mid-August 2025 reveals strong development and generally favourable conditions. The state is enjoying adequate to surplus moisture and mostly suitable weather for fieldwork.
Alfalfa Hay
The third cutting of alfalfa hay is approximately 65% complete, with harvesting ongoing and pasture conditions rated 83% good to excellent. Frequent rains have promoted pasture growth, extending grazing periods, although heat and humidity have caused some livestock stress.
Soybeans
Ninety-three percent of soybeans in Iowa have bloomed, with 83% setting pods. Soybean condition is rated mostly good to excellent (82%), with only small percentages rated poor or very poor. This progress is slightly ahead of last year’s pace but about four days behind normal timing.
Corn
Ninety-six percent of Iowa's corn has reached the silking stage. Corn in the dough stage is at 68%, just one day behind last year and three days behind normal. Twenty-seven percent of corn is in the dent stage, slightly ahead of last year but behind the five-year average. Corn condition is strong, with 86% rated good to excellent.
Oats
Ninety-one percent of the oat grain crop has been harvested, with harvesting activities ongoing as weather and field conditions permit.
Weather and Moisture Conditions
Scattered precipitation has occurred statewide, allowing around 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork in the week ending August 17, 2025. Precipitation helped maintain soil moisture, with topsoil rated 72% adequate and 26% surplus, and subsoil 73% adequate and 23% surplus. Only minimal short moisture conditions were reported.
The early August period saw heavy and frequent rains, especially in western and eastern Iowa, causing limited fieldwork days and some localized flooding and ponding in low-lying fields. However, temperatures have been hot and humid, and forecasts suggest more seasonal temperatures and rainfall through the end of August.
Flooding Concerns
There have been reports of localized flooding, especially in eastern Iowa due to several waves of heavy rainfall. Some low-lying spots still had ponding as of early to mid-August, which has impacted fieldwork and cropped areas in isolated locations.
In summary, Iowa’s crop situation is generally positive with good crop conditions and progress on alfalfa, corn, soybeans, and oats. Weather has been wet with above-normal rainfall earlier in the month, causing some localized flooding, but recent trends and forecasts suggest improvement with adequate soil moisture statewide and no drought stress at present.
- In Iowa, the local rates of alfalfa hay harvesting are robust, with 65% of the third cutting completed, and pasture conditions rated 83% good to excellent, due to timely rains that have promoted pasture growth, despite some heat and humidity-induced livestock stress.
- Soybean crop development in Iowa is favorable, with 93% of soybeans blooming and 83% setting pods, earning an 82% good to excellent rating, despite being slightly behind the normal timing.
- Amid the auspicious crop progress, there have been isolated instances of localized flooding, particularly in eastern Iowa, due to the heavy rainfall the region experienced, affecting select cropped areas and impeding fieldwork in certain locations.
