Rainfall limited fieldwork activities during the week ending May 5, according to the latest Crop Progress Report from the Department of Agriculture. Iowa farmers were left with just 1.4 suitable days as many counties moved out of the extreme-to-severe drought stages.

Topsoil moisture condition rated four percent very short, 12 percent short, 65 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated seven percent very short, 20 percent short, 64 percent adequate, and nine percent surplus.

Eight percent of Iowa’s expected corn crop was planted during the last week, for a total of 47 percent. Progress on corn planting went from ahead of both last year and the five-year average to two days behind. Seven percent of the corn crop has emerged, three days ahead of last year and one day ahead of the average. Progress also fell behind for the soybean crop, with just five percent of the expected crop planted during the last week. This brings the total to 30 percent planted, two days short of last year. Four percent of the soybean crop has emerged.

Meanwhile, ninety-six percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, two days ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. Oat emergence reached 68 percent, five days ahead of last year and one week ahead of the five-year average. The first oat condition rating of the season was one percent very poor, two percent poor, 29 percent fair, 59 percent good, and nine percent excellent.

The first hay condition of the season was one percent very poor, three percent poor, 21 percent fair, 64 percent good, and 11 percent excellent. Pasture condition rated 57 percent good to excellent, with many reports of cattle being turned out.