Iowa farmers were able to harvest one-quarter of the state’s corn crop during the week ending Nov. 2, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork, the second most days suitable statewide this crop season. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, corn stalk baling, and hauling grain.
Sixty-one percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested, four days behind 2013 and 10 days behind the five-year average. In west central Iowa, 59 percent of the corn harvest was complete. Moisture content of corn at harvest was estimated at 18 percent. Seventy-six percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition.
Soybean harvest reached 91 percent complete statewide, three days behind last year but a day ahead of normal. West central farmers are ahead of the state, with 96 percent of the soybean harvest complete as of Sunday. This was the first time this season soybean harvest was ahead of average.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 4 percent short, 84 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 85 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. Southwest Iowa was the wettest with almost one-third of its topsoil and subsoil in surplus condition.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 60 percent moderate to heavy, increasing 2 percentage points from the previous week. Although off-farm grain storage availability was rate 89 percent adequate to surplus, a few elevators were running short on storage space or limiting incoming grain. On-farm grain storage availability was 83 percent adequate to surplus.
Hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were normal, with more cattle turned out on corn stalk fields.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Iowa had its driest week in nearly two years. Only a handful of locations picked up any measurable rain with 0.05 inches near Badger (Webster County) being the most reported. Volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported just .01 inch of rain on Oct. 28. The statewide average precipitation was a trace while normal for the week is 0.55 inches.
The early portion of the week was unseasonably mild with daytime highs mostly in the 60s and 70s. Temperatures in far southwest Iowa soared into the 80s on Oct. 26, with Sidney the warm spot at 85 degrees. A strong cold front moved into the state on Oct. 28, with daytime highs mostly in the 40s for the remainder of the week across northern Iowa. There were scattered areas of freezing temperatures across western Iowa on Oct. 29 and northern Iowa on Oct. 30. However, a hard freeze impacted much of the northwestern two-thirds of Iowa on Oct. 31 and statewide on Nov. 1.
Beltz reported a high temperature of 73 degrees on Oct. 25 and a low temperature of 27 degrees on Oct. 31.
The week’s lowest temperatures were reported across northeast Iowa on Saturday morning with 14 degree readings at Elkader and Stanley. The statewide average temperature for the week was 0.6 degrees below normal. Soil temperatures at the four inch depth were averaging in the mid-40s across most of Iowa as of Nov. 2.
