Weekly state report shows slight planting progress, but continued moisture improvements

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Farmers in some parts of the state were able to make progress on spring planting last week, but in the region that includes Floyd and Chickasaw counties, only 2% of the corn crop had been planted as of Sunday.

According to the weekly Iowa crop report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, rain and cold left only 2.8 days suitable for fieldwork last week.

In addition to some corn planting, fieldwork included tillage, applying anhydrous and nitrogen, planting oats and limited spraying, the report said.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the report, saying, “Despite another cold, wet week that slowed fieldwork, planting has begun in some areas of the state. Looking ahead, short-term temperature outlooks suggest a shift toward much needed warmer weather but, unfortunately, with a wetter storm track.”

If you’re looking for a bright spot from the weather, the wet conditions have reduced the impact of drought across the state.

According to the latest Iowa information from the U.S. Drought Monitor, the western northwest half of Floyd County was still listed as abnormally dry, but the southeastern half of Floyd County and all of Chickasaw County are now in the “none” category when it comes to drought conditions.

Much of the state in a swath from the northeastern corner, down through the central part of the state and the entire bottom tiers of counties are all out of drought conditions, the report said.

The state crop report said average topsoil moisture conditions statewide rated 3% very short, 13% short, 68% adequate and 16% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 8% very short, 22% short, 63% adequate and 7% surplus.

For the northcentral district that includes Floyd County, topsoil moisture was listed as 3% very short, 5% short, 87% adequate and 5% surplus. Subsoil moisture for this district was rates as 6% very short, 34% short, 57% adequate and 3% surplus.

Statewide, 9% of Iowa’s expected corn crop has been planted, 11 days behind last year and 9 days behind the 5-year average.

Farmers in the western one-third of the Iowa had at least 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork and made more planting progress than those in the rest of the state, according to the weekly report.

Four percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 9 days behind the previous year and 5 days behind the average; 63% of the expected oat crop has been planted, almost 2 weeks behind last year and 1 week behind the 5-year average; and 18% of the oat crop has emerged, 10 days behind last year and 6 days behind the average.

According to Justin Glisan, the state climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, April ended unseasonably cold and windy with near-normal to above-average rainfall statewide.

“Portions of southwestern and north-central Iowa reported up to 2 inches of above-average rainfall as an active weather pattern persisted over the Upper Midwest,” he said.

“With more clouds and precipitation present, colder than expected conditions continued with departures of up to nine degrees in northern Iowa as the statewide average temperature came in at 48.5 degrees, 5.6 degrees below normal.