Widely varying amounts of precipitation were received at the beginning of the week, but drier conditions prevailed later in the week, allowing Iowa farmers 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sept. 13, according the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included seed corn harvest, chopping silage, cutting hay, and isolated reports of corn for grain and soybean harvest. There were continued reports of disease pressure on corn.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide fell slightly to 6 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Topsoil moisture levels in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 6 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 14 percent surplus.
Eighty-eight percent of the corn crop was in the dent stage or beyond (92 percent in WC Iowa), with 26 percent mature (16 percent in WC Iowa), four days ahead of last year, but one week behind the 5-year average. Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.
Sixty-two percent of soybeans were starting to turn color or beyond (58 percent), while 18 percent of soybeans were dropping leaves (9 percent), three days ahead of 2014, but 2two days behind normal. Soybean condition rated 75 percent good to excellent.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 83 percent complete, 10 days ahead of last year, but a week behind the average. Pasture condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. Livestock were reported as having very little stress.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: The past reporting week began with very warm and humid weather and frequent rainfall. Rain fell nearly statewide from Sunday evening into Monday morning, Sept. 6-7, with very heavy rainfall over portions of central and south central Iowa. This was followed by another statewide rain event from Monday night into Tuesday morning, Sept. 7-8, with the heaviest rains concentrated over southwestern areas of the state.
Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 9-10, were not quite as warm. Light rain fell over the northern one-third of Iowa and far western portions of the state from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning. Rain also fell nearly statewide on Thursday into Friday morning, although amounts were mostly light excepting a few localized areas of around an inch of rain across the east. Dry and much cooler weather prevailed over the weekend. Rain totals for the week varied from 0.11 inches at Hampton and 0.14 inches at Castana (Monona County) to 6.35 inches at Bagley (Guthrie County), 5.53 inches at Lake Rathbun and 5.15 inches at Bedford. The statewide average precipitation was 1.38 inches while normal for the week is 0.82 inches.
Daytime highs climbed into the 80s in many areas from Monday through Thursday with Burlington, Donnellson, Le Claire and Muscatine reporting the highest temperatures with 89 degree readings on Monday, Sept. 7. Meanwhile, temperatures fell to 37 degrees at Sheldon on Saturday (12th) morning, Sept. 12, and 38 degrees at Elkader, Manchester and Stanley on Sunday morning, Sept. 13. Very cool late week weather just barely cancelled out the very warm start to the week with temperatures for the week as a whole averaging 0.4 degrees below normal.
