NORTHEY COMMENTS ON IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT
Iowa Department of Agriculture
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.
“It was a very good week of weather for farmers to finish planting, make hay and do needed spraying. The warm sunny weather was also very good for crop conditions with 77 percent of corn and 73 percent of beans rated good or excellent,” 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. The report summary follows here:
CROP REPORT
Dry weather conditions allowed farmers to make good progress on spring planting during the week ending June 4, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork, which were the most Iowa has had all season. Field activities for the week included planting and re-planting, applying herbicides, and harvesting the first crop of alfalfa hay.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 9 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus.
Ninety percent of corn crop has emerged, six days behind last year and one day behind the 5-year average. Corn condition improved and rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybean planting reached 91 percent complete, 2 days behind last year, but over a week ahead of average. Soybean emergence reached 62 percent, 1 day behind average. The first soybean condition rating of the season came in at 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 62 percent good and 11 percent excellent. Oats headed reached 26 percent, 5 days behind last year and 1 day behind average. Oats condition improved to 78 percent good to excellent.
Dry weather allowed one-third of the first cutting of alfalfa hay to be harvested last week. Hay conditions improved to 85 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as good with very little stress.
