Iowa Ag Connection - NASS: Review of the 2017 Iowa Crop Year

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NASS: Review of the 2017 Iowa Crop Year
Iowa Ag Connection - 12/13/2017

It was a cool wet spring which caused planting to progress slowly at the beginning of the season. However, by May, planting began to rapidly advance. The planting of corn was completed the second week in June, and soybeans wrapped up the third week in June. The weeks ending June 11 and September 10 saw the highest number of days suitable for field work for the season with 6.8 days suitable. Beginning in June through the end of September, minimal precipitation fell across Iowa, creating severe drought conditions in some areas. Crop development started out slowly, but was generally either equal to or ahead of the average pace midway through to the end of most development stages. Corn and soybean harvest began later than average and precipitation in October further delayed harvest for some Iowa farmers. As a result, harvest of corn and soybeans remained behind average throughout the season. But by the end of November only a few areas of the State had reports of crops remaining to be harvested.

Corn planting was limited in the month of April due to wet conditions. By April 30, 28 percent of the corn crop was planted, 9 days behind last year and 2 days behind the 5-year average. By mid-May, planting progress moved ahead of average, and was nearly complete by June 4. Crop development remained behind last year throughout the season. Corn was almost fully emerged by June 18 equal to the average. Corn silking was virtually complete by August 13, 4 days ahead of average. Ninety-eight percent of corn had reached dough stage by September 10, 3 days ahead of average. Ninety-seven percent of corn was at dent stage by October 1, 5 days behind average. Corn reaching the mature stage started off slowly, and remained behind the five-year average for the rest of the stage. Corn for grain harvest also started off slowly. By October 22, harvest was over 2 weeks behind average but dry conditions in late October and early November allowed Iowa farmers to make up time. By November 12, the corn for grain crop reached 85 percent harvested, just 1 week behind average. Corn for grain harvested was nearly complete at 96 percent on November 26. On June 25, corn condition rated a season high 79 percent good to excellent, but slowly declined until it hit a low of 59 percent good to excellent on September 17. Rain in October helped improve conditions with the final rating reported at 66 percent good to excellent. Moisture of corn being harvested was reported at 23 percent as harvest began and gradually fell to 17 percent by the last 3 weeks of harvest.

Soybean planting started off behind the 5-year average due to rainy conditions, but recovered quickly in the second week of May. By May 14, over one-third of the soybean crop had been planted, 2 days ahead of average. Planting was nearly complete by June 11, 1 day ahead of last year and almost 2 weeks ahead of average. By the end of May, 39 percent of soybeans had emerged, 1 day behind average. Soybeans were nearly 100 percent emerged by July 2. Plants began blooming in late June, and remained on average pace until almost fully blooming on August 20. Pods set were either equal to or ahead of average for the entire stage. Leaves turning color started off slow, but neared completion at 97 percent on October 1, 4 days ahead of average. Harvest began slowly in mid-September, and remained behind the 5-year average throughout harvest. During the 2 weeks from October 15 through October 29 Iowa farmers were able to harvest 51 percent of the soybean crop, reaching 83 percent harvested. Condition deteriorated after June 25, until reaching a season low rating of 56 percent good to excellent on August 13. Rain in October helped the crop finish with conditions improving slightly with 64 percent good to excellent by the week ending October 22.

Oat seeding started behind average, but by late April had caught up to the average. Emergence began slightly behind average, but by May 14 moved ahead of average for the remainder of the stage. Oats were nearly 100 percent emerged by May 28. By June 11, 44 percent of the oat acreage was headed, 2 days behind average. However, oats headed caught up to average by the end of the month. Over three-quarters of the crop was turning color by July 16. Ninety-five percent of the oat crop had been harvested by August 13, equal to average. On May 7, the condition rating of the crop was 76 percent good to excellent. This rating improved to 80 percent good to excellent by May 21, but gradually declined to 71 percent by the end of the season.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 21 percent complete by May 28, four days behind the 5-year average. Over 80 percent of the State's hay was rated in good to excellent condition throughout the first cutting. The first cutting was nearly complete by June 25, with 10 percent of the second cutting also complete. Ninety-five percent of the second cutting was complete by July 30, nearly two weeks ahead of average. Dry weather caused hay condition ratings to deteriorate during July and into August with just 45 percent of the State's hay rated good to excellent by mid-August. Although the third cutting got off to a slow start, by August 13 progress was ahead of last year and the average pace and remained ahead until completion. Some producers in Iowa were able to complete a fourth cutting of alfalfa hay.

Pastures started to green by April 9, and began to show good growth the following week. Adequate to surplus soil moisture levels through the end of May aided pasture growth. By June 4, 84 percent of the State's pastures were in good to excellent condition. After the first week in June, pasture conditions began to deteriorate due to drought conditions. By September 24, pasture conditions hit a season low with 48 percent rated poor to very poor. Supplemental feeding of hay and using CRP acres for emergency haying and grazing were required in parts of the State affected most by the drought conditions. Rain in October helped improve conditions and green up of pastures at the end of the season. The last rating of the season showed 35 percent good to excellent.

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