Crop report: 97% of corn is planted

DES MOINES — Dry weather with isolated showers led to 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 1, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Primary field activities included planting, cutting hay and spraying emerging crops.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 5% very short, 23% short, 70% adequate and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5% very short, 27% short, 65% adequate and 3% surplus.

Corn planted reached 97%. Corn emerged reached 87%, six days ahead of last year’s pace and one day ahead of normal.

Corn condition rated 84% good to excellent.

Ninety-six percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted. Soybeans emerged reached 79%, 10 days ahead of last year and four days ahead of normal.

Soybean condition rated 81% good to excellent.

Ninety-five percent of the State’s oat crop has emerged. Oats headed reached 41%, two days ahead of last year and one week ahead of normal. Oat condition rated 85% good to excellent.

Sixty-one percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed, six days ahead of last year and average. Hay condition rated 83% good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 73% good to excellent.

Weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Upper level wildfire smoke produced a copper-colored Sun on several days during the reporting period, slightly reducing incoming solar radiation.

Along with persisting cloud cover midweek, air temperatures remained cooler than normal for the end of May; the statewide average temperature was 62.2 degrees, 2.4 degrees below normal.

Rainfall totals were generally light across the state with scarce amounts in south-central and Eastern Iowa.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at multiple stations in east-central Iowa to 0.79 inch in Remsen (Plymouth County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.21 inch; the normal is 1.08 inches.

Several southwest stations reported the week’s high temperature of 88 degrees May 31, nine degrees above normal. Multiple northern Iowa stations reported the week’s low temperature of 40 degrees on May 26 and 27, on average 12 degrees below normal.