As we look ahead and gear up for the upcoming growing season, ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists share a quick update on what conditions look like across the state in their respective regions.
North Central Iowa
Angie Rieck-Hinz (Region 3): “We are still in the throes of winter in NC Iowa, but there is some good news. Our 4-inch soil temperatures are holding steady at around 33-35 degrees, I have seen many tile lines running suggesting the frost is mostly out and we are infiltrating water into soils to alleviate our drought conditions. However, as of Thursday March 9, Humboldt and the northwest half of Webster County are still listed as D2 or severe drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unless we see a drastic change in the weather pattern, this spring looks to be a cold, wet start to our growing season.”
Northeast Iowa
Josh Michel (Region 5): “Four-inch soil temperatures in NE Iowa continue to hover in the low to mid 30’s. With very shallow frost levels in some areas to being non-existent in others, much of the precipitation that we’ve received so far this month has been able to infiltrate into the soil. This is great news as most of NE Iowa is currently not experiencing any drought conditions according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released on March 9, 2023. Adequate moisture levels throughout the soil profile continue to look good so far as many farmers are beginning to prepare for planting season.”
Central Iowa
Meaghan Anderson (Region 7): “As I write this, snow has just finished falling in central Iowa, so it seems that winter is still here. The 4-inch soil temperature started rising in late February and has remained somewhat stable in the mid to upper 30s since then. While some ponding still exists in fields, many have disappeared and some tiles have been running, so much of the frost is out by now. Once air temperatures warm, we should see a quick rebound in soil temps! It looks like the climate outlooks have us remaining on the cooler and wetter side of the averages through at least the end of March. While I can’t say much about planting now, we can all make sure our spring equipment is in good working order when the time comes using the spring maintenance roundup written by our ISU Digital Ag Innovation Team.”
Source: iastate.edu
Categories: Iowa, Crops