Iowa farmers had a good week for harvesting with 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 28, 2018, according to the USDA NASS's weekly harvest progress report.
Taking advantage of the dry conditions, activities for the week included harvesting corn and soybeans, baling stalks, anhydrous and manure application, fall tillage, and planting cover crops. Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 0 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 21 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 26 percent surplus.
Forty-nine percent of the State’s corn for grain crop has been harvested, 3 days ahead of last year but 3 days behind the five-year average. Farmers in southeast Iowa have harvested 65 percent of their corn for grain while farmers in the northeast and southwest are yet to cross the 40 percent mark on their corn for grain harvest. Moisture content of field corn being harvested averaged 18 percent. Corn condition rated 69 percent good to excellent.
Soybean harvest was 71 percent complete, a week behind the average. This is the smallest percentage of the soybean crop harvested by October 28 since 2009. Pasture conditions rated 52 percent good to excellent. Feedlots are drying to more favorable condition.