IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT

The Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report has been released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service.  The report is released weekly from April through October.
“Harvest progress continued across much of the state with some Iowa farmers finishing combining and completing other fall field work, including construction of conservation practices,” said Mike Naig, Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. “There is still harvest work to be done across the state, especially in northeast, southwest and south-central Iowa where 15 percent of corn is still in the field.”
The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia.  The report summary follows here:
CROP REPORT
Minimal precipitation allowed Iowa farmers to make progress towards completing harvest with 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 19, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included harvesting, baling corn stalks, tiling, hauling and spreading manure, applying fertilizers, and planting cover crops.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 9 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 6 percent very short, 16 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.
Ninety-two percent of the corn for grain crop has been harvested, eight days behind last year and the 5-year average. Moisture content of corn being harvested for grain averaged 17 percent. Only northeast, southwest, and south central Iowa have more than 10 percent of their corn for grain crop remaining to be harvested.
There were reports of limited stress on livestock; however, fluctuations in temperatures caused lung issues in some calves. Cattle continue to graze in harvested fields with limited hay being fed.