Statewide, Iowa — The USDA says another dry week led to a lot of combine time in the fields, and the harvest season is quickly nearing an end.
The report shows statewide 97 percent of the beans are already in the bin, which is eight days ahead of last year and nine days ahead of the average. The statewide corn harvest is not far behind with 89 percent of the work done. That puts the corn harvest six days ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of the five-year average.
Here in Northwest Iowa, the report shows that we have more crops that have been harvested, with 100 percent of soybeans harvested, and 98 percent of corn harvested for grain.
The week ending November 6th shows 6.5 days suitable for harvest here in Northwest Iowa. The drought conditions we have been encountering are shown as Northwest Iowa’s Topsoil moisture is 38 percent very short, far exceeding the state only being 17 percent very short. Northwest Iowa has no surplus topsoil moisture, compared to the state’s 2 percent. Subsoil moisture also highlighted our drought conditions here in Northwest Iowa, as subsoil moisture was 39 percent very short, and 46 percent short. This in comparison to the state’s 25 percent very short, and 39 percent short.
