Farmers throughout the state are only a few weeks out from the beginning of the planting season, which marks the start of the weekly crop progress and conditions reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first report of the spring shows widespread precipitation and cooler-than-normal conditions limited producers to just 1.6 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending April 3. Topsoil moisture is rated nine percent very short, 26 percent short, 58 percent adequate, and eight percent in surplus. Subsoil moisture stood at 12 percent very short, 35 percent short, 49 percent adequate, and four percent surplus. Oat planting is underway with seven percent of the crop now in the ground, two days behind last year but two days ahead of the five-year average. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, says, “Late-season snow last week, along with recent rainfall, has helped ease drought conditions across portions of the state. While April precipitation outlooks point to the possibility of wetter than normal conditions, near term temperatures are forecasted to remain colder than average.” The full report can be found at www.nass.usda.gov.
