A combine in a corn field along west-bound Interstate 880. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa saw “meager” to no rainfall this week, causing pasture conditions and soil moisture to continue to slip as the state nears record low, monthly levels of precipitation and harvest season chugs along.
Farmers continue to make use of the dry conditions and expedite their harvests. Only 9% of soybeans and 32% of corn remain in the fields to be harvested, according to the crop progress and condition report for the week of Oct. 15 through Oct. 20.
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Soybean harvest is almost two weeks ahead of schedule and corn harvest is 10 days ahead of the five-year average for the state. South-central Iowa lags behind the rest of the state with only about half of its corn harvested, according to the report.
Farmers continue to make significant harvest progress throughout the state. (Graphic from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)
The state climatologist, Justin Glisan, said in his report for the same week, it was the second driest October in the state’s 152 years of record keeping. Last month also clocked in as one of the driest Septembers in recorded years.
There was no measurable average precipitation for the week, causing soil moisture to continue to decline. Adequate topsoil moisture is below 20% and subsoil moisture conditions were rated just slightly higher.
The percentage of Iowa classified as in “severe drought” more than doubled this week to nearly 16%, according to the Oct. 17 report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in response to the crop report that “harvest took another sizable step toward the finish line.”
“With drought conditions continuing to spread, we would welcome a shot of rain to reduce fire risks, get cover crops established and begin to replenish our soils, streams and pastures,” Naig said in a statement.
Burn bans are in place for 61 of Iowa’s 99 counties as of Monday, a slight increase from last week.
Seven-day precipitation forecasts from the National Weather Service show that some precipitation is expected in most of the state.
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