USDA's latest crop report shows warm, dry weather gave Iowa farmers 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 16, 2018. Activities for the week included harvesting hay, harvesting seed corn, chopping corn silage, harvesting corn for grain, harvesting soybeans and seeding cover crops.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 7 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. South central Iowa topsoil moisture supplies rated 75 percent adequate to surplus for the second consecutive week.
Ninety-four percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage or beyond, a week ahead of the 5-year average. Fifty-three percent of the corn crop was mature, just over a week ahead of average. Corn condition rated 73 percent good to excellent. Eighty-three percent of the soybean crop was coloring with 50 percent dropping leaves, 8 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 72 percent good to excellent.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 94 percent complete, a week behind the previous year. Pasture conditions rated 50 percent good to excellent. Warm and dry conditions helped dry out feedlots.