Field work gets boost from weather

Iowa farmers used the last week of hot, dry weather to make substantial progress on critical tasks such as spraying and haying, according to the USDA's weekly Iowa Crop & Weather report.

Farmers had 5.9 days suitable for field work in the past week, the report said, and average precipitation statewide was only about a third of the average for the week at 0.3 inches.

“The warm dry weather helped farmers to spray for weeds and nearly complete the first cutting of hay,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said in prepared remarks. “The severe weather that caused damage in central and eastern Iowa early this morning is not reflected in this report and it is still too early to tell the extent of the crop damage, but hopefully many of the plants will be able to recover.”

Only 4 percent of Iowa's corn crop has begun to tassel and 1 percent has begun to silk. In an average year over one-quarter of the corn crop would be tasseling and 13 percent would be silking.

The condition of the crop was reported at 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 14 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 28 percent excellent.

Thirty-five percent of the soybean crop was blooming, behind the previous year and five-year average of 43 percent. The condition of the soybean crop was 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 56 percent good and 24 percent excellent.

The oat crop was also coming along slowly. Only 45 percent the oat crop has turned color, still lagging well behind the 73 percent in 2010 and the average 64 percent.