DES MOINES – Snow, rain, and chilly circumstances restricted Iowa farmers to 2.0 days appropriate for fieldwork throughout the week ending Sunday, in accordance with the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Those who’ve been in a position to do any fieldwork have been making use of anhydrous and fertilizer, spreading manure and planting oats.
Caleb Hamer, left, and Scott Beenken, co-owners of B&H Ag Services, do upkeep work on a corn planter in preparation for the spring planting season in March 2021.
“A stagnant weather pattern across the upper Midwest has brought persistent light rain and snow to portions of Iowa over the past week,” mentioned Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “As farmers are eager to begin fieldwork, colder conditions have hindered their efforts. The additional moisture, however, will be beneficial for the upcoming growing season.”
Topsoil moisture ranges rated 7% very quick, 21% quick, 65% satisfactory and seven% surplus. Subsoil moisture ranges rated 11% very quick, 31% quick, 56% satisfactory and a pair of% surplus.
Thirteen p.c of the anticipated oat crop has been planted, 5 days behind final 12 months and a pair of days behind the 5-year common. There have been scattered reviews of oats starting to emerge.
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Below-normal temperatures meant pastures remained largely dormant. Livestock circumstances have been typically good though chilly temperatures and moisture have been a problem for some cattle producers as calving continues.
Weather abstract
The damp and gloomy circumstances that endured by way of most of the reporting interval lastly broke towards the finish of the week, reported, Justin Glisan, state climatologist with Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Unseasonably chilly temperatures continued throughout Iowa with the statewide common temperature at 40.7 levels, 3.6 levels under regular. The cutoff low stress system that stagnated the climate sample over the Upper Midwest additionally introduced rounds of showers, each rain and snow, although a lot of the state skilled precipitation deficits between 0.40 to 0.60 inch.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from hint quantities at a number of stations to 1.54 inches at Maquoketa (Jackson County). The statewide weekly common precipitation was 0.32 inch whereas the regular is 0.65 inch.