Weather dries soil across Iowa, helps crop mature

Warm and sunny weather helped dry out soil conditions and aided crop development during the week that ended Sunday.

There were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork, marking only the second week this season that all crop reporting districts had at least four days suitable for fieldwork, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Iowa enjoyed its driest week in nine weeks with a statewide average precipitation of 0.30 inches, while normal for the week is 1.09 inches, according to Harry Hillaker, state climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship.

Farmers used the improving weather to cut hay, apply herbicides and replant crops in some areas of the state.

'There are a lot of uneven fields due to the wet conditions much of the state saw in June,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said in a news release.

Topsoil moisture levels were rated 2 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 25 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels were rated 3 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus.

Eighty-two percent of Iowa's corn crop was rated good to excellent and soybean condition was rated 78 percent good to excellent. Nearly all soybeans have emerged and soybeans blooming reached 20 percent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 90 percent complete. The second cutting reached 24 percent, a week ahead of last year, but four days behind the five-year average.

Hay conditions remained 70 percent good to excellent.

At the Dyersville Sales hay auction Wednesday, top price of $140 per ton was paid for a load of new crop round bales. The top price paid for large square bales of third crop hay from 2014 was $125 per ton.

Most of the hay offered for sale was wet, damaged or going through the curing process. No dry hay has been baled locally in three weeks.