Good progress last week in planting; 80 percent of corn in before the rain
Iowa farmers had ideal conditions and in west central Iowa subsoil moisture levels improved during the week that ended May 11, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Statewide, farmers had 4.9 days suitable for field work. Seventy percent of the corn and 20 percent of the soybeans are now planted. Nine percent of the corn has emerged. West central Iowa farmers continue a little ahead of farmers in all parts of Iowa except northwest Iowa. There, 87 percent of the corn and 30 percent of the soybeans are planted. Farmers in west central Iowa have 80 percent of the corn and 22 percent of the soybeans planted. Farmers in north central and northeast Iowa are struggling, with only 46 percent of the corn planted.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide as of Sunday morning were rated as 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated as 9 percent very short, 26 percent short, 60 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship state climatologist Harry Hillaker noted that much of the state received significant precipitation Sunday after the reporting period closed.
Topsoil moisture levels in west central Iowa Sunday morning were rated as 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus. After Sunday’s rainfall, which volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported to be 2.67 inches, surplus topsoil moisture was a problem for even more farmers. Beltz reported only .14 inches of rain during the week that ended Friday at 6 am, but another 2.75 inches by Tuesday (May 13) at 6 am.
Subsoil moisture levels in west central Iowa were rated as 10 percent very short, 36 percent short, 50 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture has made steady progress since mid-April, increasing from 31 percent adequate on April 13.
In the weather summary, Hillaker reported widely varied rainfall totals ranging from only sprinkles in several southeast Iowa locations to 1.86 inches in Cresco (all of which fell on Thursday). The statewide average precipitation was .31 inches, about one-third the weekly normal of .99 inches.
Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged near normal close to the Minnesota boarder to six degrees above normal over southwest Iowa. The statewide average temperature was 3.2 degrees above normal.
High temperature in the state was 97 degrees Wednesday afternoon in Clarinda, Shenandoah and Sidney. Beltz reported that Jefferson reached 92 degrees.
