Iowa farmers made planting progress last week as drier conditions provided more time for fieldwork after what Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said will be remembered as one of Iowa’s wettest Aprils.
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s weekly crop progress and condition report, Iowa had 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 3. That was one day more than the same week last year.
Corn planting reached 42% complete, 5 percentage points behind last year’s pace. Soybean planting reached 27%, 9 points behind last year.
Naig says April’s moisture helped ease drought conditions across most of the state. He says cooler and drier conditions expected through the first few weeks of May should give farmers a longer window to keep planters running.
Topsoil moisture was rated 81% adequate and 9% surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 78% adequate and 7% surplus.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan says the statewide average temperature last week was 50.7 degrees. Weekly precipitation averaged 0.71 inch statewide, below the normal of 1.04 inches.
