Cold, wet weather persists, halting fieldwork

As cold, wet weather persisted for the week ending April 15, statewide Iowa farmers had only 1.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 15, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Field Office, Iowa. When conditions allowed, farmers in the southern two-thirds of the state were busy applying fertilizer and seeding oats with isolated reports of tillage.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 12 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Recent heavy snow and rain have left northern Iowa with surplus soil moisture.

Twelve percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 9 days behind last year and 10 days behind the 5-year average. While one-quarter of the oats have been planted in east central and southwest Iowa, northwest and north central Iowa have yet to get planting underway.