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Northwest Iowa Crops Page |
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Fall 2004 Subsoil Moisture Survey Results
The ISU Extension Fall 2004 subsoil moisture survey has been completed for Carroll, Calhoun, Crawford, Monona, Ida, Sac and Pocahontas counties. Results form this fall’s sampling indicate a sharp contrast in stored soil moisture between counties, yet west-central IA is going into the winter season in relatively good shape with a greater than average amount of moisture stored in the area’s sub-soil. Results from the soil moisture survey taken in late October indicate that west-central IA had on average 5.0 inches of plant available water (PAW) in the 60-inch soil profile or 43% of capacity. This was 108 % of the last 6-year fall average and much above the last fall’s total of 2.6 inches PAW. Soils with the most stored moisture were found in Carroll, Sac, Pocahontas and northern Ida counties with an average of 7.9 inches PAW. In contrast, Calhoun, Crawford and Monona county soils were holding only 2.6 inches PAW. West-central IA has received between 2.0 to 4.0 inches of precipitation since the sampling period; therefore an additional 1.5 to 3.0 inches could be added to the location totals. West-central IA began the cropping season in very good soil moisture condition with the area’s soils holding on average 8.5 inches of plant available water (PAW) which was 73% of capacity. Precipitation was mostly adequate through early July, but then became short during late July through September in many areas. Yet because of the below normal temperatures, soil moisture demand was less and moisture stress was not a problem in most areas. Late summer and early fall precipitation recharged soil moisture in Ida, Sac and Pocahontas counties. The maximum amount of plant available water (PAW) in the top five feet of soil is around eleven inches for most northwest Iowa soils. The subsoil moisture samples are taken to a depth of five feet in one-foot increments. Five feet is the normal depth that corn, soybeans and alfalfa can extract moisture. On average, a corn and soybean crop requires 26 inches of water to produce a normal yield. Timeliness and intensity of the rain events greatly effects water infiltration into the soil and the plant's ability to utilize the moisture. Keep in mind that rainfall has been variable across the region and the samples capture only a snapshot of time and location of actual subsoil moisture status. Rainfall has occurred since the samples have been taken so moisture levels in many areas may have improved since the sampling period.
Soil Profile Graphs
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2004 Spring Subsoil Moisture Survey Results
| Previous | Sample | Plant Available Water 60-inch soil profile | ||||
| County | Township | Town | Crop | Date | Inches | % of Capacity |
| Carroll | Washington | Carroll | 7.1 | 57.1% | ||
| Crawford | Paradise | Dow City | 3.4 | 29.1% | ||
| 3.2 | 27.5% | |||||
| County Average | 3.3 | 28.3% | ||||
| Ida | Grant | Kiron | 2.9 | 24.4% | ||
| Maple | Battle Creek | 3.6 | 28.9% | |||
| Griggs | Holstein | 10.3 | 83.4% | |||
| County Average | 5.6 | 45.6% | ||||
| Monona | Center | Castana | 2.1 | 18.0% | ||
| 2.2 | 18.8% | |||||
| 1.5 | 12.9% | |||||
| County Average | 1.9 | 16.6% | ||||
| Sac | Richland | Odebolt north | 6.5 | 52.7% | ||
| Eurek | Schaller | 6.0 | 48.5% | |||
| Jackson | Sac City | 7.8 | 70.8% | |||
| Sac | Auburn | 7.6 | 78.4% | |||
| Wheeler | Odebolt South | 6.3 | 51.0% | |||
| County Average | 6.9 | 60.3% | ||||
| Pocahontas | Roosevelt | Gillmore City | 7.4 | 66.6% | ||
| Calhoun | Elm Grove | Yetter | 2.7 | 24.8% | ||
| Area Average | 5.0 | 43.3% | ||||
Historical Fall Sample Results
| PAW - Inches (Fall) | % of Fall Average | ||||||||
| County | Township | Town | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 2004 |
| Carroll | Washington | Carroll | 7.1 | 3.9 | 11.5 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 98% | |
| Crawford | Paradise | Dow City | 3.4 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 117% |
| Crawford | Paradise | Dow City | 3.2 | 2.2 | 7.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 86% |
| County Average | 3.3 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 101% | ||
| Ida | Grant | S-C Ida County | 2.9 | 1.3 | 7.6 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 4.0 | 82% |
| Ida | Maple | Battle Creek | 3.6 | 2.2 | 8.5 | 5.5 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 91% |
| Ida | Griggs | Holstein | 10.3 | 3.4 | 11.3 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 173% |
| County Average | 5.6 | 2.3 | 9.1 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 115% | ||
| Monona | Center | Castana | 2.1 | 0.5 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 105% | |
| Monona | Center | Castana | 2.2 | 1.3 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 74% | |
| Monona | Center | Castana | 2.2 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 148% | |
| County Average | 2.2 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 109% | |||
| Sac | Richland | Odebolt north | 6.5 | 2.6 | 11.8 | 7.8 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 101% |
| Sac | Eurek | Schaller | 6.0 | 2.8 | 11.3 | 9.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 101% |
| Sac | Jackson | Sac City | 7.8 | 4.0 | 12.8 | 8.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 110% |
| Sac | Sac | Auburn | 7.6 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 121% |
| Sac | Wheeler | Odebolt South | 6.3 | 2.8 | 9.6 | 6.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 117% |
| County Average | 6.9 | 3.7 | 10.9 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 110% | ||
| Pocahontas | Roosevelt | Gillmore City | 7.4 | 3.2 | 8.5 | 6.2 | 117% | ||
| Calhoun | Elm Grove | Yetter | 2.7 | 1.9 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 87% | ||
| Area Average | 5.0 | 2.5 | 8.1 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 108% | ||
Soil Profile Graphs
Todd Vagts
Iowa State University Extension
Field Crops Specialist
1240 D. Heires Avenue
Carroll, IA 51401
Office: 712-792-2364; Cell: 712-249-6025; Fax: 712-792-2366
Email: vagts@iastate.edu
This page last updated on 11/23/04
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY