Northey expects corn planting to pick up pace

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service.  The report is released weekly from April through October.

“Most farmer are holding off on corn planting until the crop insurance deadline this Wednesday, but I expect it to advance quickly if the weather remains this agreeable,” Northey said.  “Much of the state remains fairly dry and farmers could use some rain to replenish soil moisture levels.”

The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA's site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia.  The report follows here:

CROP REPORT

As Iowa's crop insurance plant date for corn slowly approaches (April 11), farmers are excited about getting planting underway. Most of the week's rain occurred in the southeast corner of the state. The week's most common field activities were application of anhydrous, tiling, and leveling of last year's cornstalks.

There were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the past week. Statewide soil moisture levels are still a big concern with most farmers hoping for rain before corn planting gets under way.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 12 percent very short, 31 percent short, 55 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Northwest Iowa continues to be the driest area in the State with 78 percent short to very short for topsoil moisture. Iowa's subsoil moisture rated 18 percent very short, 33 percent short, 47 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.

With only 1 percent of the corn planted across the state, farmers look forward to widespread planting. Oat acreage planted was 75 percent complete, well beyond both last year's 29 percent and the five-year average of 21 percent. Twenty-three percent of the oat acreage has emerged which is 16 days ahead of normal.

Pasture and range condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 21 percent excellent. Warm temperatures meant less stress on livestock this spring and gave livestock the chance to graze pastures early.

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY

By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

The past reporting week began with unseasonably warm weather on Monday (2nd) and gradually cooled to near normal readings by the weekend.

The state's most widespread freeze since March 13 affected most of the northeast one-half to two-thirds of Iowa on Friday (6th) morning with a hard freeze in a few areas. Freezing conditions were also scattered across all but the far southeast corner of the state on Sunday (8th) morning with a hard freeze in a few western locations.

Temperature extremes for the week ranged from highs of 92 degrees at Sioux City and Little Sioux on Monday to a morning low of 23 degrees at Cresco on Friday and 25 degrees at Sibley on Sunday. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from 6 degrees above normal over the far east to 11 degrees above normal over the far west with a statewide average of 8.8 degrees above normal.

An exceptional streak of 24 consecutive days with at least one location in Iowa reaching at least 70 degrees finally ended on Thursday. No rain fell over about the northwest one-quarter of Iowa over the past week while Keokuk Airport reported the most rain with 1.49 inches.

The statewide average precipitation was only 0.09 inch while normal for the week is 0.66 inch. There were a few thunderstorms over extreme southern and southeast Iowa on Tuesday and again over the far south on Wednesday into Thursday morning.

Finally, showers and a few thunderstorms brought light rain to the southeast three-fourths of Iowa on Saturday. This was Iowa's driest week in eight weeks.

Very low soil moisture levels prevail over northwest and north central Iowa and is a remnant of very dry late summer and fall weather in those areas exacerbated by relatively little rain over the past month.

Soil temperatures as of Sunday are averaging in the low 50s in most areas.