Playing catch up

There's no guessing local farmers' biggest concern midway through the growing season.

Dry conditions have stressed corn and soybean fields across northwest Iowa. Though recent rainfall has helped, more precipitation is needed as crops head towards the home stretch.

"Corn has showed moisture stress for many days in a lot of fields so far this summer," said ISU Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong, who serves O'Brien County. "However, if it started raining and kept raining, the yield expectation would still be quite good."

DeJong reported that some cornfields have shown signs of leaf rolling,...