Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.
“With the Farm Progress Show kicking off in central Iowa, much of the state will receive a blast of heat followed by cooler weather as we head into September,” said Secretary Naig. “This stretch of unseasonably dry conditions is providing a nice window for farmers to bale hay, chop silage and begin to seed cover crops.”
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.
Crop Report
The State experienced mostly dry weather this week. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 25, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary field activities continued to be cutting and baling hay and preparing for the fall harvest.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 23 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 20 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.
Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 90 percent this week, 6 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. Forty-five percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, 3 days behind last year. Corn mature reached 4 percent. Corn condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans setting pods reached 90 percent, 9 days behind last year and 3 days behind the five-year average. Soybeans coloring reached 5 percent, 4 days behind last year and 2 days behind the average. Soybean condition was 77 percent good to excellent.
The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 79 percent, 6 days behind last year but 6 days ahead of the five-year average. Hay condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 65 percent good to excellent. As temperatures rose at the end of the week, stress became a concern for livestock.
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