Although spotty rains left some areas waterlogged, one of the driest weeks Iowa has seen this season allowed 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork across the state during the week ending Sept. 4, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included chopping corn for silage, planting cover crops and cutting hay.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 86 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Topsoil moisture levels in west central Iowa rated 1 percent short, 93 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa rated 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Ninety-seven percent of the corn crop reached the dough stage or beyond, eight days ahead of the five-year average, with 80 percent dented or beyond, five days ahead of both last year and normal. Fourteen percent of corn had reached maturity, four days ahead of last year, but three days behind normal. Corn condition rated 83 percent good to excellent.
Thirty-five percent of soybeans have started to turn color (23 percent in west central Iowa), three days ahead of last year’s pace. Five percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, one day ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 82 percent good to excellent, despite reports of sudden death (SDS) and white mold in scattered soybean fields.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 87 percent complete, two weeks ahead of last year. A fourth cutting of hay has been possible for some producers. Pasture condition rated 63 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as ideal in some areas.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – The past reporting week began with warm and humid conditions with scattered thunderstorms from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 28-30. Dry and much cooler weather prevailed from Tuesday night through Saturday, Sept. 3, with daytime highs mostly in the 70s. Strong southerly winds brought much more humid air into the state Saturday night and Sunday, Sept. 4, with scattered thunderstorms Sunday morning and afternoon over small areas of northwest/west Iowa.
Much more widespread rain fell across far northwest Iowa on Sunday night but came too late to be reflected in this week’s crop and soil moisture statistics.
There were no widespread areas of significant rain, rather hit and miss thunderstorms were the rule. Parts of far northern and eastern Iowa recorded no measurable rain during the week. The Ames airport reported the most rain with 3.44 inches, nearly all of which fell in one hour on Monday evening, Aug. 29. The statewide average precipitation was 0.47 inches, or a little more than one-half the weekly normal of 0.87 inches. Only one week has brought less rain to Iowa in the past 15 weeks.
Temperature extremes varied from a Monday afternoon high of 93 degrees at Burlington to a Friday morning low of 46 degrees at Coggon (Linn County). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 0.6 degrees above normal.
