Another week of rain and storms kept producers out of the fields much of the week ending Sept. 18, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were only 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork, but farmers in east central and southeast Iowa had over 5.0 days suitable. Activities for the week included chopping corn for silage, seed corn harvest, manure application and cutting hay.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 3 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 87 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 14 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa rated 7 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Reporters in the northern third of Iowa noted some fields with standing water.
Ninety-five percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, three days ahead of the five-year average. Crops are maturing rapidly with 52 percent of corn at the mature stage, three days ahead of last year. There were scattered reports of corn for grain being harvested. Corn condition rated 83 percent good to excellent.
Eighty-two percent of soybeans were turning color (78 percent in west central Iowa), two days ahead of last year’s pace. Forty-six percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, four days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 95 percent complete, two weeks ahead of last year. However, the precipitation made it difficult for some producers to make dry hay. Pasture condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. While moderate temperatures were beneficial for livestock conditions, heavy rains were causing muddy feedlots.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – Rainfall totals averaged above normal for the 10th week among the past 13 weeks.
The great majority of this week’s rain fell between Thursday morning and Friday morning, Sept. 15-16, with heaviest rains falling across northwest and west central Iowa. Rain also fell across all but the northwest and southeast corners of the state on Monday, Sept. 12, with a few locations, mainly in the southwest, picking up more than an inch of rain with this early week event.
Rain totals for the week as a whole varied from none over small parts of far southeastern Iowa such as De Witt, Muscatine and Burlington to 6.04 inches at Little Sioux in Harrison County. The statewide average precipitation was 2.0 inches while normal for the week is 0.78 inches.
Meanwhile, temperatures were above normal for most of the week with daytime highs climbing into the mid-80s in a few areas on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Sept. 18. Temperature extremes varied from Monday afternoon high of 87 degrees at Shenandoah and Sidney to a Wednesday morning low of 40 degrees at Sheldon. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.4 degrees above normal.
