Harvest ahead of 5-year average

DES MOINES ? Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey commented Monday on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service.

?Harvest continues to advance and remain ahead of the five-year average for both corn and soybeans,? Northey said. ?Farmers have been able to make good progress and the light showers seen statewide in the past week have not caused significant delay and helped address some of the fire risk seen in recent weeks.?

The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship?s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA?s site atwww.nass.usda.gov/ia.

Light showers slowed harvest a bit, but progress remains well ahead of the normal pace. Fall tillage has already been completed on some fields, but little ammonia has been applied. Terrace and waterway work is progressing where harvest is complete.

There were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week. Topsoil moisture levels rated 28 percent very short, 39 percent short, 32 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 25 percent very short, 40 percent short, 34 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Grain movement remains brisk, with 54 percent of the State seeing moderate to heavy grain movement from farm to elevator. As the harvest season advances, 4 percent of the state reports being short off-farm storage capacity and 9 percent of the state reports a shortage of on-farm storage capacity.

Virtually all of Iowa?s corn crop is now mature. Forty-five percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, four days behind 2010 but eight days ahead of the five-year average. Corn condition stands at 4 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Nearly all of Iowa?s soybeans have dropped their leaves although southern Iowa lags slightly behind the rest of the State. Soybean harvest advanced to 87 percent complete, behind last year?s 92 percent but over two weeks ahead of the average pace. Over three-quarters of the soybean crop has been harvested in all districts except South Central.

Pasture and range condition rated 19 percent very poor, 23 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 21 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Hay supplies are considered short in 21 percent of Iowa. Some livestock producers are moving cattle to stalk fields as well as feeding hay as pasture conditions are poor.

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY

By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

The past reporting week began with temperatures well above normal on Monday (10th) and Tuesday (11th) with highs mostly in the 70s with a gradual cooling trend that brought temperatures back down to seasonal values by the weekend. Temperature extremes varied from afternoon highs of 80 degrees at Donnellson, Keokuk and Winterset on Monday and again at Keosauqua on Tuesday down to a low of 30 degrees at Sibley on Saturday (15th) morning. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 4.6 degrees above normal. Light rain showers were scattered over the state on Monday and Tuesday while thunderstorms brought the state?s heaviest rain in over a month on Wednesday. Light rain fell over the northeast one-third of Iowa on Thursday and Saturday while most areas were dry on Friday and Sunday. Rain totals for the week varied from just a trace at Centerville to 2.46 inches at Winterset. The statewide average precipitation was 0.65 inch or just slightly above the weekly normal of 0.58 inch. This was Iowa?s wettest week in six weeks. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (16th) were averaging in the mid 50s statewide.