DES MOINES, Iowa—Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig Monday commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November.
“Iowa has experienced widely variable weather conditions over the past week. Some areas picked up large amounts of rain thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal while other parts of the state saw smaller amounts of precipitation,” said Secretary Naig. “Crops continue to progress quickly with warmer temperatures expected throughout the week.”
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s site at nass.usda.gov/ia.
Crop Progress
While some areas of Iowa saw significant precipitation, statewide there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 14, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included planting, harvesting hay, spraying and applying nitrogen.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 6% short, 85% adequate and 8% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0% very short, 4% short, 87% adequate and 9% surplus.
Virtually all of the corn crop has emerged. Corn condition rated 83% good to excellent. Although soybeans remain to be planted in southwest Iowa, farmers in the rest of the state have nearly all completed planting. Emergence reached 93%, almost 3 weeks ahead of last year and 9 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 82% good to excellent. Oats headed progressed to 42%, 3 days ahead of last year but 2 days behind average. Oat condition rated 83% good to excellent.
One-quarter of the first cutting of alfalfa hay was completed during the week ending June 14, 2020, reaching 79 percent complete. Only Southwest Iowa producers have been unable to complete at least three quarters of their first cutting of alfalfa hay. Hay condition rated 75% good to excellent. Pasture condition remains at 70% good to excellent. Movement of grain from farm to facilities was noted. No major livestock issues were reported for the week.
Preliminary Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Warmer than normal conditions continued into the second week of June with the warmest temperatures reported in western Iowa. Near normal conditions were reported in parts of eastern Iowa. The statewide average temperature was 70.6 degrees, 1.1 degrees above normal. Two strong storm systems brought heavy rain across western Iowa and especially over eastern Iowa, where a tropical system brought over three inches of above average rainfall. Drier than normal conditions were found across north-central Iowa where departures, on the order of 0.50 inch to 1.00 inch below average, were observed.
Sunday (7th) was windy, hot and sunny with highs reaching into the mid to upper 90s across much of Iowa. Skies remained clear overnight into Monday (8th) with morning lows ranging from the upper 60s east to mid 70s west; the statewide average low was 69 degrees, 12 degrees above normal. Temperatures again topped out in the 90s as winds gradually shifted from the east across southeastern Iowa in advance of the remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal. The system, now classified as a tropical depression, entered Iowa from northeastern Missouri in the early morning hours on Tuesday (9th). Cristobal became only the second tropical system on record to move through Iowa with the first occurrence happening on September 11th, 1900. While the depression was fast moving and cleared the state just after 9:00 pm, very heavy rain was reported across eastern Iowa through the day. Behind Cristobal, a strong low pressure system and attendant cold front pushed through western Iowa and brought additional rain to much of the state. The mid-latitude system moved out of Iowa just after noon on Wednesday (10th). Two-day rain totals showed over 200 NWS coop stations and CoCoRaHS rain gauges reporting at least an inch with all Iowa stations observing measurable totals. Ten gauges across a narrow south-to-north swath in eastern Iowa observed over four inches; Vinton (Benton County) reported 4.11 inches while Stanley (Buchanan County) observed 4.65 inches. Storm totals in western Iowa were generally above 0.50 inch with the statewide average total at 1.53 inches. Windy and cooler conditions built in behind the systems as cloud cover cleared into the afternoon hours.
A brisk northwest wind and clear skies held temperatures in the 70s, with overnight lows into Thursday (11th) in the mid to upper 50s. Westerly winds and sunny skies persisted through the day with high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s. Friday (12th) morning lows across southern Iowa were in the low 60s while the rest of Iowa reported mid to upper 50s. Clear and pleasant conditions continued into Saturday (13th) across a majority of the state. Highs ranged from the upper 80s in southwestern Iowa to upper 60s in eastern Iowa, where clouds and isolated rain showers were found into the evening hours. Only a handful of stations reported measurable totals at 7:00 am on Sunday (14th) with 0.04 inch reported in Fayette County to a trace in Cedar Rapids (Linn County).
Weekly precipitation totals ranged 0.07 inch in Humboldt (Humboldt County) to 5.64 inches at Oelwein 1E (Fayette County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.78 inches while the normal is 1.19 inches. Spencer Municipal Airport (Clay County) reported the week’s high temperature of 98 degrees on the 8th, 19 degrees above normal. Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 47 degrees on the 12th, seven degrees below normal.
(contributed press release, IDALS)
