IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT
Iowa Department of Agriculture
DES MOINES – The Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report has been released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.
“The continued wet weather across the state slowed harvest again last week and as a result just 13 percent of corn and 32 percent of beans have been harvested. It looks like the weather could be more agreeable this week and I expect harvest to move very quickly if we do get a run of dry days,” said Mike Naig, Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
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
Most Iowa farmers fell further behind on harvest due to rain throughout much of the state during the week ending October 15, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were only 2.0 days suitable for fieldwork; the second week in a row Iowa has had less than 3 days suitable for fieldwork. Many activities were delayed due to the wet conditions, but when the weather allowed farmers harvested corn for grain and soybeans, planted cover crops, and hauled manure.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 7 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 9 percent very short, 16 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Ninety-four percent of corn had reached maturity or beyond, six days behind last year and two days behind the 5-year average. Just 13 percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, the smallest percentage harvested by this date since 2009 and over 2 weeks behind average. Moisture content of corn being harvested for grain averaged 21 percent. Corn condition rated 61 percent good to excellent. Ninety-six percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, one day ahead of last year and two days ahead of average. Thirty-two percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, the lowest percentage harvested by this date since 1985. Only east central Iowa farmers have harvested over 50 percent of their soybean crop. Soybean condition rated 63 percent good to excellent.
Pasture conditions continued to improve with the additional rain to 31 percent good to excellent. Feedlots remain very muddy.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
It was another wet week across most of Iowa with highly variable temperatures. There were two statewide rain events with both bringing the heaviest rains to eastern Iowa. The first rain event moved into western Iowa on Monday (9th) night and very slowly exited eastern Iowa on Thursday (12th) morning. The second rain event developed over western Iowa on Friday (13th) morning and moved out of eastern Iowa Saturday (14th) night. Between the two events rain totals exceeded an inch over most of the southeastern two-thirds of Iowa while only light rain fell across the far northwest counties. Weekly rain totals varied from only 0.05 inches at Doon in Lyon County to 4.68 inches near Peosta in Dubuque County. The statewide average rain total was 1.54 inches while normal for the week is 0.58 inches. The statewide average precipitation already ranks as the seventh highest for October among 145 years of records with one-half of the month still ahead. The week began with unseasonably warm weather on Sunday (8th) when highs were in the seventies and eighties statewide. The coolest weather came on Tuesday (10th) and Wednesday (11th). Rock Rapids reported the state’s first freeze of the season on Tuesday morning with a 31 degree temperature. A hard freeze followed the next morning over parts of extreme northwest Iowa with the lowest temperature of 25 degrees reported at Sheldon. Freezing temperatures were confined roughly along and west of a line from Estherville to Storm Lake to Logan. Meanwhile Fort Madison reported the week’s highest temperature with an 84 degree high on Monday (9th). However, very warm weather also returned to southeastern Iowa late in the week with highs of 80 degrees at Centerville on Friday (13th) and also at Keokuk on Saturday (14th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from a degree or two below normal over extreme western Iowa to four to six degrees above normal over the southeast with a statewide average of 2.6 degrees above normal.
