Storms provide measurable rainfall

Iowa farmers were held to 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork after storms left measurable rainfall across much of the state during the week ending May 13, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Field Office, Iowa.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 6 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 23 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 10 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus. Intermittent rain interrupted fieldwork and planting activities in portions of the state, but recent rains have failed to relieve the dry soil conditions in the southern one-third of the state.

Iowa growers have planted 65 percent of the expected corn crop, 4 days behind last year. While the southern two-thirds of the state already has 79 percent or more of the corn crop planted, north central has almost three-quarters of the crop left to be planted. Twenty-six percent of the crop has emerged. Soybean growers have 33 percent of the expected crop in the ground, led by farmers in southeast Iowa who have planted almost two-thirds of their expected crop. Five percent of the crop has emerged. Ninety-two percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 1 week behind last year and 3 days behind the five-year average. Sixty-one percent of the crop has emerged, 6 days behind last year, and 5 days behind the average.