Following last year’s drought, and in some instances within the region, two years of dry conditions, the question is how much moisture is in the subsoil levels? Leah Ten Napel is the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach crops specialist and agronomist for northwest Iowa. She says within her nine-county area subsoil moisture levels are below normal as spring field work begins.
The extension agronomist says crops need approximately 20 inches of moisture to adequately grow and develop through the season. Ten Napel says she wonders if northwest Iowa will get enough moisture, or if farmers may experience another dry year.
Ten Napel says there have been some planting that has occurred in northwest Iowa, however, due to cooler temperatures and scattered showers and snowflakes within the last few days, planting has temporarily halted.
