Northwest Iowa — Northwest Iowa crop fields are dealing with drier conditions this year. In fact some area farmers are looking for other alternatives to salvage the crop value they have left.
We talked with Iowa State University Crop Field Specialist Joel De Jong and he says while we’re all a bit dry, recent precip has been hit or miss in the area.
He says most farmers have no reason to give up hope on the crop.
DeJong says if you do make the decision to harvest your crop for silage instead of for kernel corn, you need to remember the potential for the nitrate level to be high in times of drought.
DeJong says he encourages farmers to continue scouting the fields. He says some of them have soybean aphids, but many do not as well. He says don’t pay for protection you don’t need. He says some fields have spider mites too. Plus he says now is the time to assess yield potential, especially in corn, so you can have the information you need to make decisions when harvest time comes.
Meanwhile, the latest USDA crop report has just been released.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says that as the dry weather continues we see the portion of Iowa in drought continuing to expand and crop conditions deteriorate. Northy says that unfortunately, 40 percent of the state, including portions of 23 counties, is now in severe drought.
The crop report says that all of Iowa experienced cooler than normal temperatures with very little precipitation scattered across the state this past week, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included applying fungicides and insecticides, hauling grain, and haying.
Topsoil moisture levels fell to 30 percent very short, 33 percent short, 37 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. According to the August 8, 2017 U.S. Drought Monitor, Iowa’s region of drought expanded to 40 percent of the state including portions of 23 counties in severe drought. Subsoil moisture levels rated 25 percent very short, 33 percent short, 42 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. That is the highest percentage of very short subsoil moisture supplies since the first week of November 2013.
Sixty-two percent of the corn crop was in or beyond the dough stage, 6 days behind last year. Eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage, one week behind average. Corn condition declined to 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 94 percent, 5 days behind last year and 4 days behind average. Eighty-two percent of soybeans were setting pods, 3 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 4 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 49 percent good and 7 percent excellent. Ninety-five percent of the oat crop for grain or seed has been harvested, equal to average.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 65 percent complete, 8 days ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of average. Pasture condition was reported as 45 percent poor to very poor, the highest percentage reported in those categories since the beginning of April 2014. Cooler temperatures improved livestock conditions, but supplemental feeding has been required and ponds are drying up in some areas.
The weekly report is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia.
Click on the map for a link to the Iowa Drought Monitor page.
