Statewide Iowa — Iowa farmers continued to deal with challenging field conditions as the first accumulating snowfall of the year fell across parts of the State during the week ending November 3, 2019, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Fieldwork activities included harvesting soybeans and corn for grain, spreading manure, applying anhydrous, baling corn stalks, and fall tillage.
Brad Medlock with the USDA tells us that the state as a whole has enough moisture for a while.
(Topsoil moisture condition was rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus.)
Medlock gives us a rundown of harvest progress and moisture content of the grain.
(Forty-three percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain, 8 days behind last year and 11 days behind the 5-year average. Producers in the north-central district were able to harvest over one-quarter of their expected crop this past week. The moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was at 21 percent. Corn condition rated 67 percent good to excellent. Eighty percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, 3 days behind last year and 1 week behind average.)
Medlock gives us the livestock report:
(Areas in Iowa are still dealing with muddy feedlots, while others reported no livestock issues this past week.)
In northwest Iowa, the report tells us that corn is 46 percent harvested and soybeans are 92 percent harvested. It says that for the most part, we have adequate topsoil and subsoil moisture, with surplus moisture in some locations.
