Harvest continued with 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sunday, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included harvesting row crops, fall tillage, and applying fall fertilizer and manure.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 21 percent very short, 40 percent short, 38 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 23 percent very short, 41 percent short, 36 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus.
Corn in the mature stage or beyond was 96 percent, 1 day behind last year but 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Harvest of the State's corn crop reached 38 percent complete, 2 days behind last year but 6 days ahead of the average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was 19 percent. Corn condition rose to 65 percent good to excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves or beyond were at 96 percent. Soybeans harvested reached 74 percent complete, 11 days ahead of the average.
Pasture condition rated 29 percent good to excellent. No livestock issues were reported.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, "The generally dry conditions statewide have allowed farmers to make steady progress with 74 percent of the soybean harvest and 38 percent of the corn harvest completed. For the first time since August 2013, all of the state is experiencing some form of abnormal dryness or drought but weather outlooks through the end of month are indicating potential shifts toward wetter conditions and warmer temperatures."
Categories: Iowa, Crops, Corn, Soybeans