Iowa’s corn and soybean harvest is moving forward this fall, but remains fairly slow due to damp weather and periodic rain. USDA’s weekly statewide survey shows as of October 16 the state’s farmers have harvested 33% of the 2016 corn crop and 62% of the soybeans. That remains behind the 5-year average.

> IOWA HARVEST 2016: Many farmers are waiting for crops to dry down in the field before harvesting, and are concentrating on getting corn out first rather than soybeans. “We finished our corn yesterday, but still have most of our beans to harvest,” says Story County farmer Dave Struthers.

Corn in Iowa was 45% harvested a year ago at this time, the average is 45%. Soybeans were 78% harvested at this time a year ago, the average is 74%. “Several days of dry weather would be very helpful and allow farmers to make significant progress on both corn and bean harvest,” observes Greg Thessen, director of the USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service regional office in Des Moines, which conducts and analyzes the weekly survey.

Iowa harvesting record corn crop, second largest bean crop

Nationally, USDA as of October 16 put the 2016 corn harvest at 46% complete versus a 49% average for the last 5 years. Soybeans nationally were 62% harvested nationally as of October 16 versus 63% for a 5-year average.

Iowa farmers are harvesting a record large corn crop and the second largest soybean crop, according to USDA’s October estimates released last week. Both the U.S. corn crop and soybean crops are forecast to be record large this year.

Thinking about applying anhydrous? Wait for cooler soil

For farmers thinking about applying anhydrous ammonia nitrogen fertilizer, don’t get in a hurry. The rule is “Don’t go until soil temperatures are 50 or below.” Soil temperatures at the four inch depth were averaging in the mid-fifties over the extreme northwest corner of Iowa to the mid-sixties over the southeast as of Sunday, October 16.

The complete weekly Iowa Crop Progress & Condition Report is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship’s website www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site www.nass.usda.gov/ia. The report summary follows here:

CROP REPORT: Fieldwork was slowed by damp, foggy conditions but Iowa farmers were able to make some harvest progress during the 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending October 16, 2016, according to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. Many farmers reported waiting for crops to dry down in the field before harvesting and concentrating on corn rather than soybeans. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer applications, and seeding of cover crops.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 4% short, 82% adequate and 13% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 4% short, 80% adequate and 15% surplus.

Iowa farmers have harvested 33% of corn, 62% of soybeans

The survey shows 97% of the Iowa corn crop was mature or beyond, 3 days behind last year, but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. It shows 33% of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 4 days behind last year and almost one week behind average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested was at 18%. Corn condition rated 82% good to excellent.

Looking at soybeans, 96% of Iowa’s soybeans were dropping leaves or beyond, equal to the 5-year average. And 62% of soybeans have been harvested, 6 days behind last year’s pace. Pasture condition was rated 62% good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as good.

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY—for week ended October 16, 2016

By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

The past reporting week began and ended with unseasonably warm weather with the coldest weather thus far this autumn sandwiched in between. Most noteworthy was a nearly statewide freeze on Thursday (Oct. 13) morning.

Last week’s freeze ended the growing season in half of Iowa

A hard freeze effectively ended the growing season over most of the northwest one-half of Iowa with temperatures falling as low as 24 degrees at Mapleton. The far southeast corner of the state, plus areas near the Mississippi River and scattered upland and urban locations in the southern one-third of Iowa, escaped the freeze. A few locations in far northeast Iowa also recorded a freeze the next morning (Friday Oct. 14).

Meanwhile daytime high temperatures were mostly in the seventies on Tuesday (Oct. 11), Saturday (Oct. 15) and Sunday (Oct. 16). Donnellson and Keosauqua recorded the week’s highest temperatures with 84 degree readings on Sunday. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 1 to 3 degrees above normal over the northwest and 3 to 6 degrees warmer than normal over the southeast with a statewide average of 4.2 degrees above normal.

Statewide average rainfall last week was only half of normal

Rain occurred fairly frequently in Iowa over the past week, however, rain totals were on the light side in most areas. Light to moderate rain fell across the southeast two-thirds of Iowa from Monday (Oct. 10) evening into Tuesday (Oct. 11) morning with heaviest rains in south central and southwest Iowa where College Springs (Page County) reported the most rain with 0.77 inches. Light rain was scattered over much of Iowa on Wednesday (Oct. 12) with some heavier rain over the extreme southeast where Montrose (Lee County) picked up 0.90 inches. Mostly light rain fell over the southeast two-thirds of the state on Saturday (Oct. 15) into Sunday (Oct. 16) morning although a band of one-half to one inch of rain fell from Cedar Rapids to Dubuque.

Weekly rain totals varied from only a trace at Rock Rapids and Swea City (Kossuth County) to 1.14 inches at the Cedar Rapids Airport. The statewide average precipitation was 0.24 inches while normal for the week is 0.57 inches. Soil temperatures at the four inch depth were averaging in the mid-fifties over the extreme northwest corner of Iowa to the mid-sixties over the southeast as of Sunday (Oct. 16).