Corn for grain and soybean harvest progress remains behind both last year and the five-year average, although there were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the week ending Oct. 30, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Besides harvest, other activities included chopping and baling corn stalks, tillage, and applying manure and fertilizer. There were reports of outside piling of corn for grain.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 3 percent short, 91 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statwide rated 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. In west central Iowa subsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.
Seventy-one percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested (62 percent in WC Iowa), two days behind the five-year average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested remained at 17 percent, unchanged from the previous week. Central and southeast Iowa were the only two districts with more than 80 percent of the corn for grain crop harvested.
Eighty-nine percent of the soybean crop has been harvested (93 percent in WC Iowa), one week behind last year, and five days behind normal. Farmers in southwest and south central Iowa still have one-third or more of their soybean crop to harvest.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 68 percent moderate to heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated 75 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was rated 67 percent adequate to surplus.
Pasture condition rated 60 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as favorable, with reports of cattle in fields feeding on stover.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – It was another unseasonably warm week across Iowa.
A few locations across northern and eastern Iowa occasionally dipped below normal for temperatures but statewide the week averaged 6.5 degrees above normal. Iowa has now had 13 consecutive weeks with temperatures averaging at or above normal.
Temperature extremes for the week ranged from a Monday morning low of 29 degrees at New Hampton on Oct. 24 to Friday afternoon highs of 83 degrees at Glenwood, Red Oak and Sidney on Oct. 28.
The only rain event of consequence came between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning (Oct. 25-26) when showers and thunderstorms brought rain to all but west central Iowa. Heaviest rains fell across north central and northeast Iowa where one to two inch amounts were common. No rain was recorded at locations such as Mapleton, Denison, Carroll and Sac City while a point just southeast of Decorah picked up 2.96 inches.
There were also some isolated showers and thunderstorms Saturday night (Oct. 29) across east central Iowa. The statewide average precipitation was 0.78 inches while normal for the week is 0.56 inches. Finally, soil temperatures at the four inch depth as of Sunday, Oct. 30, were averaging from 50 degrees in extreme northwest Iowa to 60 degrees over the far southeast. Soil temperatures will increase slightly over the next week with another influx of warmer air beginning on Monday.
