Crop Progress - Weekly Iowa Publication

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

Iowa Crop Progress & Condition
Upper Midwest Region-Iowa Field Office · 210 Walnut Street Ste 833 · Des Moines IA 50309 · (515) 284-4340 · (800) 772-0825
Fax (855) 271-9802 · www.nass.usda.gov
Cooperating with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
For the week ending July 19, 2015
Media Contact: Greg Thessen
Issued July 20, 2015

Hot and humid weather throughout Iowa aided crop development for the week ending July 19, 2015, according to the USDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay
and fungicide application to corn. Tasseling corn was reported throughout the State.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture
levels rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 78 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus.
Over half the corn crop reached the silking stage, with 83 percent rated good to excellent. Soybeans blooming or beyond reached
62 percent, slightly behind 2014, but equal to normal. Fifteen percent of soybeans were setting pods. Soybean condition rated 77
percent good to excellent this week. Oat acreage turning color or beyond reached 87 percent, with 28 percent of the oat crop harvested
for grain or seed, 3 days ahead of last year, but 4 days behind the average. Oat crop condition rating declined to 79 percent good to
excellent.
The first cutting of alfalfa hay made little progress,
advancing just 1 percentage point to 95 percent
complete. The second cutting reached 53 percent,
slightly ahead of last year, but 5 days behind
normal. Hay condition was rated at 69 percent good
to excellent, while pasture condition rated 78
percent good to excellent. Livestock stress levels
increased as temperatures and humidity remained
high throughout the week.

Crop conditions as of July 19, 2015
Item

Very Poor

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Corn, all ......................................
0
Soybeans ....................................
1

3
3

14
19

60
60

23
17

Hay, all ........................................
1

6

24

55

14

Oats ............................................
0

3

18

65

14

Pasture & Range .........................
0

2

20

59

19

Field Work and Crop Progress as of July 19, 2015
Districts

Item

NW

NC

NE

WC

C

EC

SW

SC

Last
Week

State

SE

Last
Year

(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)

5-yr
Avg
(percent)

Oats coloring ..........................................

94

74

84

95

95

83

98

90

91

87

69

80

85

Oats harvested .......................................

33

15

35

36

37

14

34

20

34

28

13

19

37

Corn silking.............................................

57

56

42

54

70

58

50

60

64

56

17

54

52

Soybeans blooming ................................
Soybeans setting pods ...........................

81
17

68
18

60
9

61
13

65
24

72
19

43
10

37
11

48
16

62
15

40
4

64
17

62
16

Alfalfa Hay, first cutting ...........................

100

100

100

100

98

100

96

85

96

95

94

99

99

Alfalfa Hay, second cutting .....................

84

59

72

71

72

76

41

18

35

53

40

50

65

Days Suitable & Soil Moisture Condition as of July 19, 2015
Item

Days suitable ...........

Districts
NW

NC

NE

WC

C

EC

SW

SC

SE

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

(days)

4.9
(percent)

5.2
(percent)

4.3
(percent)

4.4
(percent)

4.8
(percent)

5.2
(percent)

4.4
(percent)

3.2
(percent)

2.7
(percent)

State

Last
Week

Last
Year

(days)

(days)

(days)

4.5
(percent)

4.8
(percent)

6.0
(percent)

Topsoil moisture
Very short ............
Short ....................
Adequate .............
Surplus ................

2
13
81
4

1
7
88
4

0
2
91
7

0
3
88
9

0
3
75
22

0
2
70
28

0
2
77
21

0
0
45
55

0
2
51
47

0
4
79
17

0
3
77
20

0
6
81
13

Subsoil moisture
Very short ............
Short ....................
Adequate .............
Surplus ................

2
13
79
6

1
5
91
3

0
5
88
7

0
2
90
8

0
1
76
23

0
1
61
38

0
1
75
24

0
1
48
51

1
6
58
35

0
4
78
18

0
3
78
19

1
7
81
11

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IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

Hot and humid weather dominated Iowa for much of the reporting week. The hottest weather occurred on
Monday (13th) and Friday (17th) while temperatures slipped below normal in some areas on Wednesday (15th)
and Sunday (19th). The combination of heat and humidity pushed official heat indices to 111 degrees at
Burlington on Monday and 110 degrees on Friday while unofficial readings went even higher elsewhere over
southern Iowa. Actual temperatures peaked at 97 degrees at Des Moines on Monday and also at Bellevue,
Lamoni and Osceola on Friday. Lowest temperatures were sunrise readings of 56 degrees at Cresco on
Wednesday (15th) and at Estherville on Sunday (19th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.3
degrees above normal. Most of the week’s rain fell between late Wednesday (15th) morning and Friday (17th)
morning with heavy rains of two inches or more falling over most of the southern one-third of the state, as well
as some west central sections of Iowa. Otherwise there were some scattered showers and thunderstorms over
the northeast and southwest corners of Iowa on Monday (13th). Light to occasionally moderate rain also fell
over far northern, western and southern Iowa on Saturday (18th). Finally, thunderstorms brought rain to far
southern Iowa on Sunday (19th) morning. Weekly rain totals varied from 0.17 inches at Bellevue to 5.61 inches
at Clarinda. The statewide average rainfall was 1.30 inches while normal for the week is 1.02 inches.

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