Moines Des Register 08-28-07 State's crops thrive despite storms Wind damage could slow corn harvesting, but most crops rate good or excellent By PHILIP BRASHER REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU The government says most of Iowa's crops are in good to excellent shape, despite the heavy rain and strong winds that knocked down fields of corn in northern Iowa last week. In its weekly crop progress report, the U.S. Agriculture Department estimated Monday that 70 percent of the state's corn crop was in good or excellent condition, compared with 71 percent the week before. The amount of corn rated poor or very poor was up, from 8 percent to 10 percent during the week, probably because of the storm damage, said Brad Parks, deputy director of the USDA office in Iowa, which coordinates the weekly survey. "I wouldn't say it's a major change," Parks said. Cornfields that have suffered wind damage can still be harvested, though farmers have to slow their combines, which means it take more time and fuel to get the crops in the bin. In some areas, cornstalks have been blown almost flat, making them prone to disease. The plants will die if they standing are in water for too long, reducing grain yields, agronomists said. In northern Humboldt County, "the wind damage is horrendous," said John Holmes, the Iowa State University extension agronomist for nine counties. In many fields, he said, the stalks are "not just leaning, they're flat." Gary Small, who farms near Rembrandt in Buena Vista County, said a lot of his corn was leaning over, or "lodging," following the storms. When that happens, he has to drive his combine at about half the speed that he normally does. "It lengthens the time of our harvest," he said. Tim Recker, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, said farmers...