August's dry weather throughout the southern and western High Plains was very evident in locations such as Kansas and south central Nebraska which received only half their normal rainfall. Despite August's wet weather across the northern High Plains, topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions continue to be very dry across North Dakota and particularly Montana, according to soil moisture reports released by the Agricultural Statistics Service. And while soil moisture conditions have remained dry in Wyoming, moisture conditions look rather optimistic in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Row crops corn, soybean, and sorghum across the High Plains are at or near maturity. Iowa reports widespread yellowing due to nitrogen deficiency and many fields with green snap from earlier storms.
Soybeans are also in good to excellent condition.
At the end of August, the crop was turning color and dropping leaves. In addition to heavy weed pressure, Iowa producers reported incidences of white mold and leaf beetles in some fields. Nebraska soybean producers also reported high populations of leaf beetles, while grasshoppers were a concern in South Dakota fields. Like corn, the region's sorghum crop is 10-12 days ahead of normal. Fall armyworms and greenbugs are pest problems in Kansas.