With harvest virtually done, focus shifts to topsoil moisture

With Iowa's corn and soybean harvest virtually complete, farmers have shifted their focus to potential low topsoil moisture levels as they contemplate the 2012 crop season.

Topsoil moisture levels in the most recent week that ended Sunday fell to 33 percent very short, 32 percent short, 34 adequate, and 1 percent surplus, according to the National Agricultural Statistics weekly crops and weather report. Subsoil moisture rated 35 percent very short, 37 percent short, 28 percent adequate and zero percent surplus.

Northwest and west central Iowa producers report half or more of their area very short on topsoil and subsoil moisture. The last time topsoil moisture level ratings were this short for Iowa in the third week of November was 1999 when 67 percent was rated very short.

Grain movement continues to fall, with just 21 percent of the state seeing moderate to heavy grain movement from farm to elevator. As the harvest closes, 89 percent of Iowa reports adequate or surplus off-farm storage capacity and 84 percent of the state reports adequate or surplus on-farm storage capacity.

Hay supplies are considered adequate to surplus across 79 percent of Iowa with only 10 percent considered to be in poor condition, which is identical to the previous week. Livestock conditions are normal.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker said dry weather returned this past week with the only measurable precipitation confined to the northern one-third of the state on Saturday. The weekend precipitation came in the form of light freezing drizzle and snow over the northwest and light rain and sprinkles over the north central and northeast counties.