Harvest activities continued rapidly early in the week, but slowed down Friday due to rain, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Oct. 25, down 1.5 days from the previous week.
Iowa farmers were still able to harvest one-fifth of the state’s corn crop during the week. Fieldwork activities for the week included harvesting corn for grain, harvesting soybeans, fall tillage, tiling, terracing, seeding cover crops, and applying dry fertilizer. Other activities included chopping and baling corn stalks, as well as manure hauling and spreading.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 89 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 14 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. In west central Iowa subsoil moisture levels were 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 89 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Seventy-three percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 12 days ahead of last year, and three days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested was at 16 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week with scattered reports of grain coming out of the field and going straight into the bin. In west central Iowa, 65 percent of the corn for grain has been harvested.
Ninety-two percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, nine days ahead of last year and two days ahead of normal. In west central Iowa 96 percent of the soybeans have been harvested.
Harvest progress of both corn and soybeans in southwest and south central Iowa continued to lag behind the rest of the state.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 9 percent none, 24 percent light, 43 percent moderate, and 24 percent heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability rated 21 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. On-farm grain storage availability rated 28 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.
Pasture condition rated 56 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as excellent, with reports of some cattle being turned out to graze corn stalks.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – Widespread rain returned to Iowa for the first time since September 29. Showers and thunderstorms brought rain to about the southeast one-half of the state on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with greatest amounts of an inch or two across east central Iowa from Williamsburg to Muscatine. Another area of showers and thunderstorms dampened about the southeast two-thirds of Iowa on Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, with greatest rain amounts of around one-half inch in the Ames area. Finally, rain moved into western Iowa late Thursday night, Oct. 22, and exited northeast Iowa Saturday morning, Oct. 24. Rain fell statewide with this last system with greatest amounts over far northwest Iowa where amounts of an inch or more fell.
Greatest rain totals for the week occurred in northwest and east central Iowa with 2.76 inches at Sheldon and 2.25 inches at Iowa City. The northeast corner of the state saw the least rain with 0.13 inches at Dorchester. The statewide average precipitation was 0.63 inches or just slightly more than the weekly normal of 0.56 inches.
Meanwhile, temperatures were well above seasonal normals from Monday through Friday, Oct. 19-23. Seasonal temperatures returned at the week end. Extremes ranged from afternoon highs of 82 degrees at Red Oak and Shenandoah on Monday, Oct. 19, to morning lows of 28 degrees at Battle Creek, Decorah, Newton, Stanley and Webster City on Sunday, Oct. 25. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 8.1 degrees above normal.
Soil temperatures as of Sunday, Oct. 25, were averaging near 50 degrees across northern Iowa to the mid-50s over the south central and southeastern portions of the state.
