Northwest Iowa — Wetter weather slowed the planters in the fields a bit last week, but northwest Iowa is dryer than the rest of the state.
The USDA crop report for the state of Iowa showed an increase of 16 percent in the amount of corn planted during the week, about half the amount planted last week. The corn planting total is now at 86 percent, eight days ahead of last year and one week ahead of the five-year average. Bean planting moved at about the same pace, gaining 20 percent compared to last week, putting the total at 69 percent. That’s about one week ahead of last year and the five-year average for beans. Thirty-five percent of planted corn has emerged from the ground, nearly five times as much as last week. And the report now says 19 percent of the beans have emerged.
According to the report, northwest Iowa corn planted exceeds the state, at being 92 percent planted. Corn emerged is fairly in line with the statewide average at 32 percent in northwest Iowa. Oats are 88 percent emerged in northwest Iowa. Northwest Iowa does trail the state in soybeans, however. Northwest Iowa is 63 percent planted, compared to the state’s 69 percent. Northwest Iowa has only 10 percent soybeans emerged, compared to the 19 percent for the state.
Northwest Iowa has had the same number of days suitable for fieldwork as the state, at 3.6 days.
The topsoil and subsoil moisture continues to be shorter in the northwest Iowa district than the state, topsoil is 22 percent short in northwest Iowa, versus the state being 14 percent short. According to the report, the state is 76 percent adequate for topsoil moisture, however northwest Iowa is only 64 percent adequate. As for subsoil moisture, the northwest district is also drier than the state as a whole, in that northwest Iowa is 41 percent short, compared to the state at 23 percent short, and only 53 percent adequate compared to the state’s 68 percent adequate subsoil moisture.
