Parts of Iowa will have to wait to see the sweet corn crop come in

MASON CITY — Even though Wednesday was declared Sweet Corn Day in Iowa and the delicious summertime staple is starting to appear at roadside stands, many Iowans will have to wait a while longer with the boiling water, salt and butter.

Heavy rains made many fields too muddy for heavy equipment this spring, while thousands of acres of Iowa farmland were flooded.

Angie Rieck Hinz, an agronomist with the Iowa State University Extension, says the improving conditions in recent weeks -almost- make up for the foul spring. “Obviously, it was wet, so we’ve got some compaction and some rooting issues,” Rieck Hinz says. “As it got a little warmer and even a little bit drier in places, you can see that showing up in some of the crop fields.”

While some farmers weren’t able to plant any crops this spring, Rieck Hinz says field corn and soybean crops are in excellent shape in other parts of the state. “We haven’t had a lot of insect activity,” Rieck Hinz says. “There’s not a whole lot of crop disease issues out there. That’s been great. I would anticipate if we continue to stay warm and wet, we may see some diseases pop up here and there.”

She says farmers should stay vigilant for soybean aphids, as there have been reports of some infestations in northwest Iowa.