State dry as August winds down

DES MOINES — The State of Iowa experienced mostly dry weather this week, allowing Iowa farmers 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Aug. 25, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Primary field activities continued to be cutting and baling hay and preparing for the fall harvest.

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Topsoil moisture condition rated 3% very short, 23% short, 72% adequate and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 3% very short, 20% short, 75% adequate and 2% surplus.

Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 90% this week, six days behind last year but one day ahead of the five-year average. Forty-five percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, three days behind last year.

Corn mature reached 4%. Corn condition rated 77% good to excellent.

Soybeans setting pods reached 90%, nine days behind last year and three days behind the five-year average.

Soybeans coloring reached 5%, four days behind last year and two days behind the average. Soybean condition was 77% good to excellent.

The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 79%, six days behind last year but 6 days ahead of the five-year average.

Hay condition rated 77% good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 65% good to excellent. As temperatures rose at the end of the week, stress became a concern for livestock.

Rainfall was observed across Iowa’s western two-thirds early in the reporting period, though totals were 0.40 to 0.80 inch below normal; in Eastern Iowa, deficits were over an inch in certain locations.

Temperatures varied from slightly warmer across the northwest to four degrees below normal southeast; the statewide average temperature was 68.4 degrees, 3.2 degrees below normal.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation across Eastern Iowa to 0.93 inch at Rock Rapids (Lyon County).

The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.08 inch while the normal is 0.93 inch.

Lowden (Cedar County) reported the week’s high temperature of 90 degrees Aug. 24, eight degrees above normal.

Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 44 degrees Aug. 22, 13 degrees below normal.