Northwest Iowa — Farmers saw enough dry weather last week that planting season is closing in on the end.
The USDA crop report shows 95 percent of the corn crop is now in the ground. That’s nine days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the five-year average. Sixty-five percent of that corn is poking through, about six days ahead of average. Soybean planting moved from 69 to 84 percent complete in the last week. that puts farmers around one week ahead of last year and two weeks ahead of normal. Forty-three percent of the beans have emerged, which is six days ahead of average.
As for us here in the northwest district, the report shows 97 percent of corn planted, which is slightly higher than the state in general, and far higher than the state last year’s 82 percent planted. Northwest Iowa has 71 percent of corn emerged, which is higher than the statewide percentage, and far above the statewide 5-year average of 53 percent emerged. Northwest Iowa is lagging in soybeans, however, with 82 percent planted, compared to the statewide 84 percent, and 35 percent emerged, compared to the state’s 43 percent emerged.
The northwest district has had 4 days suitable for field work the week ending May 21st, compared to the state having nearly an additional day, at 4.8 days suitable.
As for moisture, the northwest district is mostly adequate topsoil, showing 63 percent adequate, compared to the state’s 71 percent adequate. The northwest district is 27 percent short, compared to 20 percent short for the state as a whole. Subsoil moisture, however, is drier than the state as a whole, with 50 percent adequate and 40 percent short here in northwest Iowa, and the state as a whole has 65 percent adequate, and 25 percent short in subsoil moisture.
