Iowa farmers used the 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork to harvest just more than one-fifth of the state’s corn crop during the week ending Nov. 9, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was the most days suitable statewide this crop season. West central Iowa farmers had 6.9 days suitable. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, corn stalk baling, and tiling fields.
Eighty-two percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested, two days behind 2013 and one day behind the five-year average. Corn harvest advanced 21 percentage points from last week, the most harvested during this week in November since 1993. With every other district between 80 and 93 percent complete, corn harvest in southwest and south central Iowa lagged behind with only 69 and 67 percent complete, respectively. Corn harvest in west central Iowa was at 80 percent as of Nov. 9.
Soybean harvest reached 96 percent complete, three days behind last year but at the normal pace. In west central Iowa, 99 percent of the soybean acreages has been harvested.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 60 percent moderate to heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated at 86 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 81 percent adequate to surplus.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 5 percent short, 86 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 10 percent surplus. Southwest Iowa was wettest with over one-quarter of its topsoil and subsoil in surplus condition. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.
Hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were reported as normal.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: Iowa enjoyed an unseasonably dry week with a statewide average precipitation of 0.08 inches compared to a weekly normal of 0.53 inches. Le Claire reported the most rain for the week with 0.35 inches while scattered locations across central and western Iowa saw no rain for the period. Volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported just .02 inch of rain on Nov. 4.
Temperatures were above normal in most areas from Sunday through Wednesday, Nov. 2-5, and below normal for the remainder of the week. Temperature extremes varied from a Monday afternoon high of 70 degrees at Donnellson to Friday morning lows of 19 degrees at Elkader, Lowden and Stanley. Beltz reported a high temperature of 62 degrees on Nov. 6 and a low temperature of 19 degrees on Nov. 1.
Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from two degrees below normal in far southeast Iowa to five degrees above normal over the far northwest with a statewide average of 1.7 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures as of Sunday, Nov. 9 were averaging in the mid 40s statewide.
