DES MOINES, Iowa (April 25, 2022) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Monday, commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. “It was another active weather week with additional periods of severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall,” said Secretary Naig. “Cooler temperatures and windy conditions also persisted, though soil temperatures are slowly rising. Soil temperatures are at or above 50 degrees for much of the southern two-thirds of Iowa.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Rain, high winds, and cold conditions continued to stall spring planting, limiting Iowa farmers to 2.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 24, 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities were primarily applying anhydrous and fertilizer. Reports were received of limited corn and soybean planting as well as planting oats. In addition to periodic precipitation, cool soil temperatures have some farmers waiting to plant row crops.

• Topsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 18 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 9 percent very short, 29 percent short, 58 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.
• Forty-seven percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 10 days behind last year and 5 days behind the 5-year average.
• Pastures were slowly turning green. Hay supplies were dwindling in some areas. Livestock conditions were generally good, with calving in full swing.