Dry weather lets farmers harvest crops

Posted 10/24/19

Farmers last week had several dry days to harvest crops before a rainy weekend.“The state experienced dry and windy weather conditions last week, which gave farmers several good days to harvest …

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Dry weather lets farmers harvest crops

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Farmers last week had several dry days to harvest crops before a rainy weekend.

“The state experienced dry and windy weather conditions last week, which gave farmers several good days to harvest before the rainy weekend,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Farmers are hoping the favorable weather returns to help crops dry-down in the fields.”

Field conditions throughout Iowa improved allowing farmers 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Oct. 20, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Fieldwork activities included chopping silage; applying fertilizer and manure; and harvesting hay, seed corn, soybeans, and corn for grain.

Topsoil moisture condition was rated 0% very short, 1% short, 78% adequate and 21% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 0% very short, 2% short, 78% adequate and 20% surplus.

Eighty-seven percent of the corn crop has reached maturity, three weeks behind last year and more than two weeks behind the five-year average. Fifteen percent of the crop has been harvested for grain, 11 days behind average. Corn condition rated 66% good to excellent.

Ninety-four percent of the soybean crop has begun dropping leaves or beyond, nine days behind average. More than 30% of the state’s expected soybean crop was harvested during the week ending Oct. 20.

This brought the total harvested to 48% statewide, four days ahead of last year but five days behind average. This marks the first time the 2019 soybean crop has been ahead of the 2018 soybean crop; harvest of last year’s crop was also behind average due to wet field conditions.

Soybean condition rated 65% good to excellent.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay is nearly complete at 97%, almost three weeks behind average. Pasture condition improved from the previous week to 50% good to excellent which was the highest rating since the first week of August. Feedlots remain muddy.

A notable pattern shift away from the recent active weather pattern to dominant high pressure systems across the Midwest brought unseasonably dry conditions across Iowa during the reporting period.

Statewide precipitation departures were generally 0.60 to 0.80 inches below normal. Cooler than normal conditions also continued across Iowa with temperature departures up to six degrees below average.

The statewide average temperature was 48.0 degrees, 2.8 degrees colder than expected.

Temperatures across the rest of Iowa remained in the mid to upper 40s, up to 20 degrees below normal. The statewide average high was 51 degrees, 12 degrees cooler than expected.