Statewide Iowa — Snow and cold didn’t keep all farmers from pulling out the planter last week.
The weekly USDA crop report shows despite the weather delays 20 percent of Iowa’s corn crop has been planted — that’s one day behind the five-year average. Last week’s report showed just four percent of the corn in the ground. Some farmers did plant soybeans this past week and six percent of that crop is now planted — that’s three days ahead of normal. There were only scattered reports of beans planted in the previous report.
Here in northwest Iowa, 23 percent of corn was planted as of last week, and 6 percent of soybeans.
After viewing the report, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, “We’ve seen improvement in drought conditions across western Iowa. Colder temperatures and some late-season snow slowed farmers down last week. However, recent weather patterns have allowed more farmers to get into the fields and a warm and windy forecast should ramp up field activities in the coming days.”
Statewide topsoil moisture levels in the latest report were 6% very short, 28% short, 64% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 10% very short, 35% short, 54% adequate, and 1% surplus.
In northwest Iowa, it remains drier than the rest of the state. Topsoil moisture levels here were 17% very short, 37% short, 45% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 25% very short, 48% short, 27% adequate, and 0% surplus.
