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Area crops doing well, but rain needed soon

Bales of alfalfa dot a field north of Charles City Tuesday afternoon. The USDA reports that the first cutting of alfalfa and hay in northcentral Iowa was 96 percent complete by last weekend. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Bales of alfalfa dot a field north of Charles City Tuesday afternoon. The USDA reports that the first cutting of alfalfa and hay in northcentral Iowa was 96 percent complete by last weekend. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Corn moves slowly in the breeze under a bright sun Tuesday afternoon in a field north of Charles City. The USDA reports that the Iowa corn crop is currently  rated 78 percent good or excellent. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Corn moves slowly in the breeze under a bright sun Tuesday afternoon in a field north of Charles City. The USDA reports that the Iowa corn crop is currently rated 78 percent good or excellent. Press photo by Bob Steenson

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Some area lawns are beginning to show signs of browning as rain has come in spits and spurts the last couple of weeks.

So far, however, moisture levels in most area fields are still supplying the water required by growing crops.

“In general, crops are looking pretty good,” said Terry Basol, area field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“Looking at the (Weather Service) map, it looks like we got a good 1 to 2 inches of rain across the whole northeast part of the state last week,” he said, “but there are some dry pockets that don’t show up on the map.

“It would be nice to see some rain within a week or so,” Basol said. “For those pockets that are dry we could use rain immediately.

“Most of the corn is in that V5-V6 stage,” he said. “It’s looking pretty good.”

Soybeans have seen some challenges, he added, and some farmers have done some replanting.

Temperature forecasts in the next seven days look “pretty decent” with highs in the 70s to low 80s, Basol said. “As far as crop development, that’s pretty good. My hope is that we don’t turn hot and dry again.”

The weekly report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the northcentral part of the state that includes Floyd County is still 85 percent adequate or surplus for both topsoil and subsoil moisture.

Last week began with unseasonably hot weather, said state climatologist Harry Hillaker. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all saw average highs 10 degrees or more higher than normal.

“Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 8.1 degrees above normal,” he said.

Showers and thunderstorms were scattered across the state every day last week. But even though some areas saw crop damage from hail and some areas received considerable rain — such as Corning, which got 4.65 inches — other areas received only light amounts.

Much of Floyd County received a total of about half an inch to 1½ inches of rain last week, according to the state report.

“The most widespread severe weather occurred across about the southeast one-half of Iowa on Thursday with very large hail reported in Franklin, Marion and Page counties,” Hillaker said.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said, “In general, crops remain in pretty good condition, with 78 percent of corn and 74 percent of beans rated good or excellent.”

Soybean emergence reached 92 percent, five days behind last year but four days ahead of average. Oats headed reached 67 percent this week, day days behind last year. Oat condition rated 77 percent good to excellent.

 

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