This week’s heavy rains are falling on already saturated fields in West Central Iowa, which will slow the harvest and increase corn standability issues. Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Clark McGrath says areas of Harrison and Pottawattamie County and around Council Bluffs received rainfall of two to six inches plus. This is adding to the disease issues they’ve already seen in the corn and will mean increased field loss.

He says this week’s moisture will also bring field work to a halt. Some farmers were hoping to start harvest in a week to ten days but these rains will push that back, which is a concern.

McGrath says the soil profile was already full with rains in July and August, so there’s nowhere for the moisture to go except run off or stand in the field.