Warm and sunny weather helped dry out soil conditions and aided crop development during the week ending July 5, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork, with 4.6 days suitable in west central Iowa. This was only the second week this season that all districts had at least 4.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay, applying herbicides, and scattered replanting of crops.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 0, 2 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 25 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 2 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 3 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 2 percent short, 86 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus. Statewide surplus topsoil and subsoil moisture levels dropped 6 and 4 percentage points, respectively, from the previous week.
Eighty-two percent of the corn crop was rated good to excellent. Nearly all soybeans have emerged. Soybeans blooming reached 20 percent. Soybean condition rated 78 percent good to excellent this week. Oats headed or beyond reached 96 percent this week. The percent of oat acreage turning color reached 43 percent, four days ahead of 2014, and slightly ahead of normal. Oat condition improved slightly to 82 percent good to excellent.
The first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 90 percent complete, with west central producers slightly ahead at 99 percent complete. The second cutting reached 24 percent, one week ahead of last year, but four days behind the average. Hay conditions remained 70 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as good.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: Iowa enjoyed its driest week in nine weeks (the week ending May 3) with a statewide average precipitation amount of 0.30 inches while normal for the week is 1.09 inches.
Rain totals varied from none over parts of central and north central Iowa to 2.17 inches at Davenport. Rain fell across the eastern one-third of the state on Sunday and Monday, June 28 and 29. There were showers and thunderstorms over the southwest one-third of Iowa on Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The remainder of the week was dry excepting some light rain over far western and southwestern Iowa on Thursday and a very small area of extreme western Iowa on Sunday morning, July 5.
Meanwhile, temperatures were below normal until Sunday afternoon, July 5. Morning lows dipped to 44 degrees at Cresco and Elkader on Tuesday, July 2, and at Spencer on Wednesday. Sunday (July 5) was the warmest day with readings reaching 90 degrees at Little Sioux, Sioux City and Lamoni.
Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from three degrees below normal across the southwest to six degrees subnormal over the northeast with a statewide average of 4.9 degrees below normal.
