Greene County corn and soybeans are ahead of the state average, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Statewide, 55 percent of the corn crop is in or past the dough stage and 7 percent is in or past the dent stage. In Greene County, 62 percent is in or past dough stage, lagging behind only central Iowa with 70 percent. Thirteen percent of Greene County corn is in or past the dent stage, on a par with corn in central Iowa. The corn crop is more than two weeks ahead of 2013 and a week ahead of the five-year average. Statewide, 76 percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition for the week ending Aug. 10.
NASS reports that 79 percent of the soybean crop is setting pods statewide. In Greene County, 89 percent is there, leading the state at one percentage point ahead of central Iowa. The soybean crop is 30 percentage points above last year but only four points ahead of normal. Seventy-five percent of the soybean crop is in good to excellent condition.
Rainfall across the state varied greatly and the number of days suitable for field work and the soil moisture levels reflect that. Statewide, there were 4.6 days suitable for field work. That average includes 6.5 days in northeast Iowa and 2.5 days in west central Iowa.
Statewide, topsoil moisture levels were rated as 3 percent very short, 23 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. In west central Iowa the ratings were 2 percent very short, 8 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Forty-four percent of the topsoil moisture is short or very short in northeast Iowa and 43 percent is short/very short in east central Iowa.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide were rated as 3 percent very short, 22 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. In west central Iowa, the ratings were 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Preliminary weather summary, IDALS state climatologist Harry Hillaker: Temperatures averaged lightly cooler than normal for most of the past week while very welcome rain fell over much of the state.
Most of the week’s rain fell from Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon over the southwest half of the state. Rainfall totals were 5.65 inches at Denison, 5.40 inches at Coon Rapids and 4.71 inches at Guthrie Center. Volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported that Jefferson received 2.63 inches of rain, with another .12 inch on Thursday, for a total of 2.75 inches for the week. Rain showers fell somewhere in Iowa every day of the week, but much of the northeast one-third of the state is still waiting for a substantial rain. Statewide average precipitation was 1.13 inches; normal for the week is .96 inch.
Temperature extremes for the week varied from afternoon highs of 89 degrees at Rock Rapids on Sunday (Aug. 3) and Des Moines Monday, to a Thursday morning low of 51 degrees at Cresco. Beltz reported a high of 84 degrees on Aug. 5 and a low of 53 degrees on Aug. 2. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 1.7 degrees below normal.
