Cold, wet conditions prevent fieldwork

Another cold, wet week prevented fieldwork across most of Iowa with just 0.8 day suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 8, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Field Office, Iowa. Isolated reports of grain transport and fertilizer application were received. Topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 7 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 12 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. South central and southeast Iowa moisture conditions continue to be dry with over one-third of topsoil considered short to very short and over one-half of subsoil short to very short. Four percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 8 days behind both last year and the 5-year average.