DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.
“Many farmers were able to make good progress last week and now 96 percent of corn and 74 percent of soybeans are planted statewide. Farmers will be anxious to plant the remaining acres of corn and soybeans, but could be delayed again as wet weather is forecast for much of the state,” Northey said.
The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA's site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia.
Crop Report
Drier conditions allowed farmers to make good progress with 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the week ending May 22, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were scattered reports of corn being replanted in the northern third of Iowa.
Topsoil moisture levels increased to 0 percent very short, 5 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.
Ninety-six percent of the corn crop has been planted, two days ahead of last year and six days ahead of the five-year average. Corn emerged reached 75 percent, on pace with last year, but four days ahead of normal. The first corn condition rating of the season was 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 62 percent good, and 11 percent excellent. Soybean planting reached 74 percent complete, almost a week ahead of last year. Twenty-one percent of the soybeans have emerged, two days behind last year, but equal to the five-year average. Oat emergence was nearly complete at 96 percent, while oats headed reached 11 percent this week, 11 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of the five-year average. Oat condition was rated 80 percent good to excellent.
The first cutting of alfalfa hay advanced to 19 percent completed. Hay conditions improved slightly to 75 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition also improved to 76 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as generally good with some feedlots starting to dry up.
Weather Summary
By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
The past reporting week was mostly on the cooler and drier side of normal. Temperatures were below normal statewide through Saturday (21st) morning with mild days and cool nights. Temperatures climbed into the seventies statewide on Saturday (21st) afternoon and into the eighties over most of Iowa on Sunday (22nd). Temperature extremes varied from a Wednesday (18th) morning low of 30 degrees at Elkader to a Sunday (22nd) afternoon high of 87 degrees at Le Claire. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged one to three degrees below normal across northern Iowa to three to six degrees subnormal over the south where daytime cloud cover was more frequent. The statewide average temperature for the week was 3.5 degrees below normal. Light rain fell over about the southern one-third of Iowa on Monday (16th) and parts of the southeast one-half of the state on Tuesday (17th). There were a few, isolated, very light showers scattered across small areas of southern and western Iowa on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Randolph in Fremont County reported the most rain for the week with 0.52 inches while no rain was reported over parts of northwest, north central, west central, central and east central Iowa. The statewide average rainfall for the week was only 0.07 inches while normal for the week is 1.05 inches. Soil temperatures at the four inch depth were averaging in the low to mid-sixties over most of Iowa as of Sunday (22nd).