Ia-crop-weather

State
Iowa Crops & Weather

Released
May 16, 2005

Week Ending Date
May 15, 2005

Issue
IA-CW2005


Cool, Wet Weather Slows Field Work 

Excessive rain and cooler temperatures hindered field work and
worsened crop conditions.  Standing water, saturated soil, erosion and
seed rot were commonly reported problems this past week.  All weather
stations reported in excess of 1 inch of rainfall with one West
Central location reporting 6.2 inches of rain.  Several planted corn
and soybean fields have not emerged because of unfavorable conditions.

There were 1.9 days suitable for fieldwork, compared to 6.0 days from
the previous week.  Topsoil moisture rated 0 percent very short, 1
percent short, 67 percent adequate, and 32 percent surplus across
Iowa.  Subsoil moisture rated 0 percent very short, 5 percent short,
70 percent adequate, and 25 percent surplus.

Field Crops Report:  Oat emergence was 99 percent complete, slightly
ahead of last year's 97 percent and the 5-year average of 94 percent. 
Corn planted was 96 percent, 1 percentage point behind last year's
progress of 97 percent, but 10 percentage points ahead of the 5-year
average of 86 percent.  Corn emergence was at 41 percent, up from 14
percent a week ago.  Soybean plantings progressed to 45 percent
complete, well behind last year's rating of 72 percent, but near the
5-year average of 47 percent.  Soybean emergence at 4 percent made
little progress from 1 percent a week ago.  Last year's emergence
rated at 19 percent and the 5-year average was at 13 percent.  Primary
seedbed preparations were 95 percent complete, slightly behind last
year's 97 percent, but above the 5-year average of 92 percent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Livestock are reported to be in
generally good condition.  Isolated reports of scours as well as flu
in hogs continue to be collected.  Pasture and range conditions
remained about the same as the previous week at 0 percent very poor,
3 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 61 percent good, and 20 percent
excellent.

      Iowa Weather Summary

The major weather story of the past week was a period of widespread
rainfall from late Tuesday (10th) through early Friday (13th).  The
heaviest rains fell across southwest and central Iowa although nearly
all of the state received at least an inch of rain.  Weekly rain
totals varied from 0.87 inches at Fulton (Jackson Co.) to 6.70 inches
at Adair.  The statewide average precipitation was 2.43 inches while
normal for the week is 0.93 inches.  This was Iowa's wettest week
since May 2004.

The first two days of the past work week brought above normal
temperatures to the state.  Highs were in the 70's over all but far
northwest Iowa on Monday (9th).  On Tuesday (10th) temperatures soared
into the low 90's in extreme southwest Iowa while readings in the far
northwest were only in the 60's.  On Wednesday (11th) highs ranged
from the 50's northwest to low 80's southeast.  Thursday (12th)
brought high temperatures from only the upper 40's northwest to the
mid 60's south.  On Friday (13th) highs ranged from the mid 50's
northwest to low 70's southeast.  Highs over the weekend were in the
40's and 50's north to the 50's and 60's south.  Temperature extremes
for the week ranged from a Tuesday (10th) afternoon high of 94 degrees
at Glenwood to Monday (16th) morning lows of 30 degrees at Anamosa,
Elkader and Lowden.  Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged
from 0.3 degrees above normal at Burlington to 5.0 degrees below
normal at Spencer (statewide average 3.1 degrees below normal).

Severe weather was reported from 24 counties on Tuesday with several
reports of golfball size hail received from west central Iowa. 
Finally, soil temperatures as of Sunday (15th) were averaging near 50
north to the upper 50's south.



               Statewide Crop Conditions as of May 15, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Item        : Very Poor :  Poor   :  Fair   :  Good   : Excellent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                       Percent
                    :
Corn                :     3          9        39        42          7
Oats                :     0          3        20        61         16
Range & Pasture     :     0          3        16        61         20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------




                                      Field Work and Crop Progress as of May 15, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            :                      Districts                      :     :     :     :
                    Item                    :-----------------------------------------------------:State:Last :Last :Nor-
                                            : NW  : NC  : NE  : WC  :  C  : EC  : SW  : SC  : SE  :     :Week :Year : mal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            :                                   Percent
                                            :
Corn planted                                : 97    96    95    95    95    98    95    92    96    96    90    97    86
Corn emerged                                : 20    39    27    39    49    60    51    41    58    41    14*    68    50
Soybeans planted                            : 29    20    55    41    55    57    58    61    64    45    26    72    47
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Revised



                            Days Suitable & Soil Moisture Condition as of May 15, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                               Districts                               :       :       :
       Item       :-----------------------------------------------------------------------: State : Last  : Last
                  :  NW   :  NC   :  NE   :  WC   :   C   :  EC   :  SW   :  SC   :  SE   :       : Week  : Year
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                                             Days
                  :
Days suitable     :  1.4     0.5     2.5     2.3     2.0     2.1     2.2     2.4     2.8     1.9     6.0     3.9
                  :
                  :                                            Percent
                  :
Topsoil moisture  :
  Very short      :    0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       1       2
  Short           :    0       0       2       1       3       1       0       2       4       1      17      14
  Adequate        :   43      45      71      72      70      87      52      82      85      67      76      77
  Surplus         :   57      55      27      27      27      12      48      16      11      32       6       7
                  :
Subsoil moisture  :
  Very short      :    0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       1       4
  Short           :    0       1       7      10       3       4       5       3       8       5      14      23
  Adequate        :   63      49      73      68      66      86      56      88      89      70      78      69
  Surplus         :   37      50      20      22      31      10      39       9       3      25       7       4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




           Weather Summary For Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service
                            Prepared by AWIS, Inc.
                  For the week ending:  Sunday, May 15, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :          CURRENT WEEK           : SINCE APRIL 1 :CURRENT WEEK
               :--------------------------------------------------------------
    STATION    :    TEMPERATURE    :PRECIPITATION: PRECIPITATION :GDD BASE 50F
               :--------------------------------------------------------------
               : HI : LO :AVG :DFN : TOTAL : DFN : TOTAL  : DFN  : TOTAL :DFN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                     North West District
               :
Estherville    : 76   36   53   -4   2.03   1.33    6.15    1.84     35   -19
Sioux Center   : 81   32   55   -5   1.85   1.13    5.32    1.38     39   -29
Spencer        : 81   33   55   -4   1.71   0.93    7.18    2.82     42   -17
Spirit Lake    : 70   33   51   -6   3.12   2.47    8.35    4.52     22   -53
               :                    North Central District
               :
Britt          : 76   37   53   -6   2.67   1.90    9.96    5.29     35   -32
Humboldt       : 78   37   54   -6   1.86   1.05    6.28    1.55     39   -22
Mason City     : 77   39   55   -3   2.52   1.62    8.93    4.11     46   -12
Northwood      : 77   38   54   -4   2.53   1.72    7.96    3.27     42   -16
               :                     North East District
               :
Decorah        : 79   38   56   -3   3.68   2.84    5.55    0.34     51   -14
Dubuque        : 79   38   57   -1   1.44   0.46    4.04   -1.70     55    -2
Elkader        : 79   38   58    0   1.24   0.36    4.44   -0.61     60   -19
Independence   : 80   38   56   -2   1.75   0.89    6.69    1.52     54   -28
Waterloo       : 79   37   57   -3   1.95   1.04    5.02   -0.19     56   -10
               :                    West Central District
               :
Audubon        : 82   37   56   -5   4.50   3.53    7.68    2.41     53   -24
Carroll        : 84   37   56   -4   2.26   1.32    5.80    0.53     50   -16
Castana        : 81   36   56   -5   2.86   1.95    7.25    2.66     49   -16
Guthrie Center : 85   34   57   -3   6.20   5.29   12.16    6.99     57   -12
Harlan         : 86   37   57   -3   2.96   2.00    6.88    1.80     59   -13
Jefferson      : 83   37   57   -3   2.32   1.38    4.95   -0.32     52   -14
Logan          : 88   36   58   -3   4.19   3.19    9.44    4.47     66   -11
Rockwell City  : 79   36   55   -6   2.46   1.56    5.65    1.00     42   -30
Sioux City     : 87   34   57   -4   2.03   1.22    6.21    2.22     57   -18
               :                       Central District
               :
Ames           : 83   39   58    0   2.98   2.04    6.87    1.57     64     1
Boone          : 83   36   57   -3   2.89   1.94    5.82    0.50     56   -13
Des Moines     : 85   40   60   -2   4.54   3.77    9.27    4.26     72    -7
Eldora         : 80   38   56   -4   2.25   1.35    6.88    1.88     51   -14
Marshalltown   : 80   38   58   -2   2.80   1.94    7.18    2.16     59    -4
Newton         : 84   39   58   -3   4.12   3.20    8.19    3.01     62   -12
Perry          : 82   39   57   -2   4.56   3.65    8.17    3.14     56   -12
Toledo         : 80   37   56   -2   3.69   2.71    6.38    1.10     56    -4
               :                    East Central District
               :
Cedar Rapids   : 81   37   59   -1   2.48   1.68    5.51    0.64     64    -6
Davenport      : 84   39   61    0   1.82   1.02    2.85   -2.08     75     0
Iowa City      : 84   41   61   -1   1.42   0.52    4.47   -1.16     80    -3
Lowden         : 85   37   59    0   2.02   1.11    4.37   -1.33     66    -4
Maquoketa      : 81   36   57    0   1.24   0.41    2.64   -2.28     59    -1
Muscatine      : 83   42   60   -2   2.59   1.73    4.69   -0.63     72    11
               :                     South West District
               :
Clarinda       : 88   38   60   -2   4.93   3.88    9.22    3.67     71    -6
Glenwood       : 89   38   61    0   4.39   3.34    8.75    3.66     83     4
Oakland        : 88   38   59   -2   3.71   2.83    7.03    2.23     68    -2
Red Oak        : 89   40   61   -2   4.14   3.16    7.26    1.76     78    -6
Sidney         : 88   37   61   -1   3.01   2.06    7.49    2.35     85     0
               :                    South Central District
               :
Allerton       : 82   40   60    0   1.58   0.67    5.07   -0.17     71    23
Beaconsfield   : 84   39   60    1   1.78   0.90    6.82    1.69     74     3
Chariton       : 85   40   60    2   2.00   1.11    6.41    1.02     72     2
Indianola      : 83   39   58   -2   4.18   3.27    9.22    3.69     62   -10
Leon           : 86   40   61    1   1.36   0.38    5.02   -0.59     75     3
               :                     South East District
               :
Bloomfield     : 85   43   61    0   1.44   0.50    5.29   -0.20     82     0
Burlington     : 86   42   65    5   2.43   1.59    6.14    0.85    107    27
Ottumwa        : 85   39   61   -1   1.23   0.32    5.40    0.22     80    -2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Precipitation (rain, melted snow or ice) in inches.  Precipitation Days = Days
with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more.  Air Temperatures in Degrees
Fahrenheit.  Copyright 2005:  AWIS, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.



Contact Information:

     Iowa Agricultural Statistics
     210 Walnut St., Rm 833
     Des Moines, IA  50309
     1-800-772-0825
     Fax 515-284-4342
     nass-ia@nass.usda.gov