(Radio Iowa) – As temperatures in Iowa are forecast to climb into the mid to upper 90s all week, the prolonged heat is hard on people, pets — and plants. Angie Rieck Hinz (REEK-hines), a field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says farmers will be watching for signs of crop stress, though she says her region of north-central Iowa is in decent shape heading into the heat wave. She says this area is lucky as it got a little more rain that other areas, though it’s been two weeks since a significant rain and we’re overdue. Some corn hasn’t tasseled yet and Rieck Hinz fears the hot, dry weather might impact pollination.

She says the soybeans in north-central Iowa are doing well this summer, though she’s seen a few diseases on the plants, things like bacterial blight and frog-eye leaf spot. Forecasters say the heat wave will likely last through Friday, and perhaps right into the weekend, with a few outside chances for scattered showers.