DES MOINES, Iowa—Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.
“Areas of northern Iowa received some scattered showers last week, but otherwise conditions were favorable for field and farm work,” said Secretary Naig. “Warm and dry conditions are expected for the week ahead, with better chances of rain forecasted for the second half of September.”
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.
Crop Report
Iowa experienced cooler temperatures and dry conditions across most of the State. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 8, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included cutting hay and chopping corn silage.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 29 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 24 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.
Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 96 percent this week. Seventy-four percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, 6 days behind last year and 2 days behind the five-year average. Corn maturity reached 20 percent, 4 days behind last year and 1 day behind the average. Corn condition was rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans setting pods reached 97 percent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 42 percent, 4 days behind last year and 1 day behind the five-year average. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 9 percent, 4 days behind last year and 3 days behind the five-year average. Soybean condition was 78 percent good to excellent.
The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93 percent, 8 days behind last year but 1 week ahead of the five-year average. Pasture condition rated 63 percent good to excellent.
Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
September began unseasonably cool and dry for the state with measurable but below-normal rainfall in northern Iowa; southern Iowa stations reported no measurable totals. Temperatures across eastern Iowa were up to eight degrees below normal through the reporting period with a statewide average temperature at 62.4 degrees, 6.3 degrees below normal.
Sunday (1st) afternoon was mostly sunny with northerly winds and high temperatures in the 70s. Winds became variable into Monday (2nd) morning with upper 40s and low 50s observed statewide under cloudless skies. A southerly shift in the wind helped bring temperatures back to the mid 70s with persisting clear conditions under a stable dome of high pressure. Patchy fog was observed in central Iowa around sunrise on Tuesday (3rd) with upper 40s reported in eastern Iowa; temperatures were several degrees warmer farther west where winds were more southerly. Afternoon highs rose into the upper 70s across much of the state as southerly winds increased in strength with gustier conditions in northwest Iowa. Overnight lows into Wednesday (4th) varied from the mid 50s northwest to upper 40s southeast. Daytime highs pushed into the low 80s in western Iowa in advance of a cold front moving southeast through the Upper Midwest; mid to upper 70s were observed in eastern Iowa.
Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms developed along the cold front as it entered northwest Iowa into the early morning hours of Thursday (5th). The line continued to move over northern Iowa through late morning with showers persisting in eastern Iowa after noon. Gusty northwesterly winds ushered in cooler air behind the front as clouds cleared from northwest to southeast. Event rain totals were generally under 0.10 inch where rain fell though stations in north-central Iowa registered higher amounts. Charles City (Floyd County) observed 0.39 inch while Northwood (Worth County) added an additional 0.22 inch at 7:00 am on Friday (6th) after an initial 1.12 inches was reported the previous morning. Clear skies allowed temperatures to drop in the mid 40s in western Iowa while conditions were five to 10 degrees warmer farther east. Besides some spotty showers spinning in on the backside of a low pressure center over northern Iowa, afternoon conditions were partly sunny with highs in the low to mid 70s at most stations. Several stations reported some rainfall with the highest total of 0.10 inch at Bellevue Lock and Dam (Jackson County) and Swea City (Kossuth County). Saturday (7th) started chilly with upper 30s and low 40s across eastern Iowa while stations in western Iowa registered mid to upper 40s; the statewide average low was 45 degrees, 10 degrees below normal. Afternoon conditions were ideal for the Cy-Hawk game in Iowa City (Johnson County) with highs across the state in the upper 60s and low 70s under sunshine. Temperatures into Sunday (8th) held in the mid to upper 40s for most Iowa stations.
Weekly rain totals ranged from no accumulation across Iowa’s southern two-thirds to 1.34 inches in Northwood. The statewide weekly average rainfall was 0.04 inch while the normal is 0.88 inch. Little Sioux (Harrison County) and Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 89 degrees on the 5th, on average nine degrees above normal. Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 37 degrees on the 7th, 15 degrees below normal.
(contributed press release, IDALS)
