Iowa is on track to bring in the largest corn crop ever recorded, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture predictions.

Iowa farmers are expected to bring in 2.2 billion bushels of corn, almost 18 percent more than a year ago.

Additionally, 477 million bushels of soybeans are estimated to be harvested, up 39 percent from last year.

“Mother nature really smiled on us this year,” said Ron Gates, department manager at Heart of Iowa Cooperative in Nevada. “The weather in September was ideal for maturing.”

According to the department’s reports, below-normal temperatures and adequate moisture during August and late September helped in the final stages of development, and then warmer weather after ensured proper maturation.

Nationally, total corn crop production predictions are also staggering.

According to Agriculture Department Grain Stocks Reports, 10.9 to 11.3 billion bushels of corn — the largest ever — is expected to be harvested. Last year’s harvest, at 10.1 billion bushels, set the previous record.

Soybean production is also pegged to be record-breaking at 3.1 billion bushels, up 27 percent from last year.

Iowa — ranked No. 1 in corn production, No. 2 in soybean production and No. 1 in organic soybean production in the United States — produces 17 percent of the nation’s corn and 14 percent of its soybeans and is expected to average 180 bushels of corn per acre and 47 bushels per acre for soybeans.

Nationally, the Agriculture Department expects an average of 158.4 bushels per acre for corn and 42 bushels per acre for soybeans.

In the department’s Crop Progress Report, harvest pace on corn is five points behind the five-year average, but soybean harvest is five points ahead.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge said 81 percent of Iowa’s soybeans had been harvested by Oct. 12, along with 16 percent of corn. She said 94 percent of Iowa’s corn was mature, which was approximately eight days behind last year’s crop. According to the Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service, Iowa has an on-farm storage capacity of 1.65 billion bushels, which hasn’t changed since 2000. But off-farm storage is near 1.05 billion bushels, a 30 million bushel increase since 2000.

Gates said his main concern for Story County is storing the crops.

“We already have a couple hundred thousand bushels piled on the ground,” he said. “Corn is real wet right now, and harvest tends to have a long tail. It’s hard to tell how much corn will end up out there.”