Farmers cut hay, chop silage

DES MOINES — Iowa experienced cooler temperatures and dry conditions across most of the State.

These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sept. 8, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Field activities included cutting hay and chopping corn silage.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 3% very short, 29% short, 67% adequate and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 4% very short, 24% short, 70% adequate and 2% surplus.

Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 96% this week. Seventy-four percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, six days behind last year and two days behind the five-year average.

Corn maturity reached 20%, four days behind last year and one day behind the average. Corn condition was rated 77% good to excellent.

Soybeans setting pods reached 97%. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 42%, four days behind last year and one day behind the five-year average.

Soybeans dropping leaves reached 9%, four days behind last year and three days behind the five-year average. Soybean condition was 78% good to excellent.

The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93%, eight days behind last year but one week ahead of the five-year average. Pasture condition rated 63% good to excellent.

Weather summary

(Provided by Justin Glisan, State Climatologist)

September began unseasonably cool and dry for the state with measurable but below-normal rainfall in northern Iowa; southern Iowa stations reported no measurable totals.

Temperatures across Eastern Iowa were up to eight degrees below normal through the reporting period with a statewide average temperature at 62.4 degrees, 6.3 degrees below normal.

Weekly rain totals ranged from no accumulation across Iowa’s southern two-thirds to 1.34 inches in Northwood.

The statewide weekly average rainfall was 0.04 inch while the normal is 0.88 inch. Little Sioux (Harrison County) and Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 89 degrees Sept. 5, on average nine degrees above normal.

Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 37 degrees Sept. 7, 15 degrees below normal.