Harvest progressed quickly with farmers taking advantage of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sunday, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included harvesting row crops, drilling cover crops, tillage, and applying fall fertilizer and manure.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 39 percent short, 41 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 22 percent very short, 38 percent short, 39 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.
Corn in the mature stage or beyond was 92 percent, 2 days behind last year but 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Harvest of the State's corn crop reached 23 percent complete, 3 days behind last year but 3 days ahead of the average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was 20 percent. Corn condition rose slightly to 63 percent good to excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves or beyond were at 93 percent, 5 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Iowa farmers were able to harvest 29 percent of the soybean crop during the week ending October 9 to reach 55 percent complete, 9 days ahead of the average. Soybean condition rated 62 percent good to excellent.
Pasture condition rated 27 percent good to excellent. Livestock were faring well.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, "Corn and soybean harvest continues at a rapid pace across Iowa. The persistently dry weather pattern has led to drought expansion in eastern and northern Iowa but chances of showers early this week may supply some much-needed moisture with a significant cool down by the weekend."
Categories: Iowa, Weather