Farmers face hurdles during each growing season, and 2025 is no exception to that rule for Josh Nelson, who farms near Belmond in the north-central Iowa county of Wright.
“It's been a challenge up here,” he says. “We were supposed to go into a drought this year, and we've had about the exact opposite weather.”
Pockets of drowned-out corn and soybeans reflect the prolific precipitation many parts of the north-central region received in late June and July. Fortunately, Nelson says, this has been confined to a small area of the county in which he farms.
“That said, the corn's come along really well,” he says. “I've been all over the county in the past couple of weeks, and I haven’t seen many fields that look rough. Beans are also starting to come along.”
Dealing with pests
Not surprisingly, weeds love wet weather too.
“Weeds are obviously an issue when you get this much rain right about the time that you're wanting to spray,” Nelson says. “But hopefully we’ll get a break in the weather soon and we can get out there and get weeds sprayed, get fungicide put on, and then let this corn crop finish the rest of the way.”
Tar spot also continues to sweep through Iowa. At press time, this fungal disease had been confirmed in 25 Iowa counties. Although it had not been confirmed in Wright County, it can spread rapidly.
“We are definitely getting the perfect conditions for tar spot, so I expect to see a lot of fungicide being put out,” Nelson says.
He’s also keeping an eye out for common and Southern rust. Last year, Southern rust particularly pushed into Iowa from states to the south.
Soybeans mostly strong
Particularly in northern Iowa, white mold can infest soybeans. Fortunately, this fungal disease has not been a problem on Nelson’s acres.
“We were on 15-inch soybeans for a really long time, and some of my [soybean] fields are still on 15-inch [rows], and I never have had any concerns with white mold,” he says.
What has been a problem, however, are sudden death syndrome and brown stem rot. “Given the cold start to this spring and considering how early some people planted, those [diseases] may be a concern,” Nelson says.