August 13 Crop Progress and Condition Report

Light Rains Provide Little Relief to NE Crops

Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the  week  ending  August 12, 2012, temperatures moderated; however, with only limited  precipitation,  crop  conditions  continued  to  decline, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Drought damaged corn fields continue to be chopped for silage or baled for hay.  A few fields of corn were  harvested  for  grain  in  some  southeastern  counties,  but progress  is  limited  and  not  widespread.  Irrigation  remains active  as  crop  progress  advances.    Fields  are  being  prepared for  seeding  of  winter  wheat  in  the West.    Cattle  are  being removed from pastures and receiving supplemental feed.  
 
Weather  Summary:  
Light  rain  fell  in  all  districts  with amounts  averaging  less  than  one  third  of  an  inch.  A  few isolated  pockets  in  the  Central  and  East  Central  Districts received  over  one  inch  of  rainfall.    Temperatures  were  1  degree  above  normal  in  the  Northwest  and  Southwest Districts while averaging 2 degrees below normal  for  the  rest of  the  state.    Highs  reached  triple  digits  in  many  areas  and lows were  mostly in the low 50’s.   Topsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  72, Short   24, Adequate  4, Surplus   0.  Subsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  70, Short  26, Adequate  4, Surplus    0.  GDD since April 15 (normal):  Concord 2310  (2257 ),  Elgin  2254  (2207),  West Point 2344  (2321),  Mead  2457  (2377).  Rainfall total inches since April 1 (% of normal):  NE  10.27 (68%),  EC 11.22 (72%),  SE 11.95 (74%)

Field  Crops  Report: 
Corn  in  the  dough  stage  was  86  percent,  compared  to  51  last  year  and  11  days  ahead  of  58 average.   Corn in the dent stage reached 51 percent, ahead of 7 last year and 14 average.  Corn that has reached maturity was  6  percent,  compared  to  0  last  year  and  average.    Corn conditions  rated  22  percent  very  poor,  19  poor,  28  fair,  27  good,  and  4  excellent,  well  below  76  percent  good  to excellent  last  year  and 77  average.   Irrigated corn conditions rated 51 percent good to excellent and dryland corn rated 2.  

Soybeans blooming were 97 percent, ahead of 93 last year but near  96  average.   Soybeans  setting  pods  were  83  percent, ahead of 66 last year and 74 average.   Soybeans turning color were  at  2  percent,  compared  to  0  last  year  and  average. Soybean  conditions  rated  21  percent  very  poor,  25  poor,  36  fair,  17  good,  and  1  excellent,  well  below  last  year’s  78 percent good to excellent and 77 average.

Sorghum  headed  was  64  percent,  ahead  of  68  last  year  and  69 average.   Sorghum  turning color was 1 percent, compared to  1  last  year  and  3  average.    Sorghum  conditions  rated  13  percent  very  poor,  28  poor,  45  fair,  14  good,  and  0 excellent, well below last year’s 79 percent good to excellent and 78 average.

The third cutting of alfalfa was 91 percent complete compared to 46  last year and 50 average.     The  fourth cutting of alfalfa was 10 percent complete compared to 0 last year and average.  Alfalfa conditions rated 42 percent very poor, 26 poor, 18 fair, 13  good,  and  1  excellent,  well  below  78  percent  good  to excellent last year and 69 average.  

Wild  hay  harvest was  94  percent  complete,  ahead  of  80  last year and 50 average.  

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and  range conditions  rated  59  percent  very  poor,  33  poor,  7  fair,  1  good,  and  0  excellent,  well  below  75  percent  good  to excellent last year and 72 average.  



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 08/12/2012

BOONE
Producers are still irrigating. Some dryland corn has been harvested as silage. A scattered shower gave a little relief last week and so did cooler weather. Still dry and little relief in sight.

DIXON
Some measurable precipitation over the last week in the form of cloud bursts in isolated areas. Cooler temperatures have been a relief. Corn is being harvested as silage in much of the area where cattle feeders can utilize it. Producers continue to take grass hay from CRP where it is available.

DODGE
Alfalfa cuttings are very short this time around. Corn and soybean conditions continue to fall along with pastures. Supplemental feeding is required for cattle.

KNOX
Silage harvest was the main activity. Getting over enough acres is the challenge as most need to wait for custom operators. Some have reported that the irrigated corn yields will be down considerably.

NEMAHA
Some areas of the county had trace amounts of rain during the week and temperatures were lower toward the end of the week. Crops and pastures remain in poor to very poor condition. Livestock producers have reported some losses due to the heat. Most producers are providing supplemental feed to livestock and many are hauling water.



The latest national numbers can be seen at this link:  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-08-13-2012.txt. 



Variety of Rainfall Totals Speckle Iowa

Iowa saw a mix of cooler  temperatures and widespread  rainfall during the week. Rainfall amounts varied widely with the heaviest precipitation in  North  East  and  Southwest  Iowa.  The  week’s  activities  included spraying crops, harvesting oats, cutting hay, and chopping corn.    

There  were  6.1  days  suitable  for  fieldwork  statewide  during  the  past week.  Topsoil  moisture  levels  improved  to  60  percent  very  short, 31 percent  short,  9  percent  adequate,  and  0  percent  surplus.  Subsoil moisture  is  rated  at 70 percent very  short, 26 percent  short, 4 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus. 

Ninety-four percent of  the corn crop has reached  the milk stage, ahead of last year’s 81 percent and the five year average of 73 percent. Eighty percent  of  the  corn  crop  has  reached  dough  stage, well  ahead  of  last year’s  43  percent  and  the  five  year  average  of  37  percent.  Forty-five percent of  the corn crop has  reached  the dent  stage, almost  two weeks ahead of normal. Seven percent of the corn crop is now mature, almost three weeks ahead of normal. Corn condition declined slightly and now is  reported  at  22  percent  very  poor,  29  percent  poor,  33  percent  fair, 15 percent  good,  and  1  percent  excellent. 

Pods  are  being  set  on 88 percent  of  the  soybean  crop.  Soybean  condition  improved  for  the first  time  in  seven  weeks  and  now  is  rated  14  percent  very  poor, 23 percent  poor,  38  percent  fair,  24  percent  good,  and  1  percent excellent.

Harvest of third cutting of alfalfa hay, at 88 percent complete, is a month ahead of normal. 

Only  fourteen percent of  Iowa’s pasture and range  land  is rated  in fair or better  condition. Pasture  and  range  condition  rated 59 percent very poor,  27  percent  poor,  11  percent  fair,  3  percent  good,  and  0  percent excellent.  Livestock  experienced  little  to  no  stress  due  to  seasonable weather during the week.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

The  past  reporting  week  began  with  unseasonably  cool  weather  on Monday  (6th)  morning  when  daily  record  lows  were  set  at  a  few northeastern  Iowa  locations.  Belle  Plaine  reported  the  lowest temperature with a 43 degree minimum.  However, excessive heat made a very quick, but  relatively brief,  return.   Highs  climbed  into  the mid 90s over the far west by Monday afternoon with low 100s recorded over the  extreme  south  on  Tuesday.     Keosauqua was  the  hot  spot with  a 103 degree  maximum.  Much  cooler  air  spread  across  the  state  on Wednesday but not before highs  reached  into  the  low  to mid 90s over the  south.   This  time  the  cool weather was  to  last with below normal temperatures  prevailing  from Wednesday  night  through  the weekend.    Daily record  low  temperatures were set at a  few  locations on Saturday (11th)  morning  with  Northwood  and  Mason  City  reporting  lows  of 42 degrees while daytime highs managed to climb only into the mid 60s over northern Iowa on Sunday.  Temperatures for  the week as a whole averaged from one degree above normal over  the far southwest  to four degrees below normal over  the east.  Statewide  temperatures averaged 2.5  degrees  below  normal,  ending  a  streak  of  nine  consecutive  hotter than normal weeks.    Light rain was widespread between Tuesday (7th) evening  and  Thursday  (9th) morning  and  again  from  Saturday  (11th) night into Sunday (12th).  However, rain amounts in excess of one inch were  limited  to  very  small  parts  of  southwest  Iowa  on  Wednesday morning and over the northeast on Wednesday night.  Rain totals for the week  varied  from  just  a  trace  at  Le Mars  to  2.49  inches  at  Ionia  in Chickasaw County. The statewide average precipitation was 0.44 inches or a  little less than one-half of  the weekly normal of 0.96 inches.  This was  the  eighth  consecutive  drier  than  normal  week  for  Iowa.  An additional  statewide  average  of  0.28  inches  of  rain  fell  after  the completion of  the crop survey on Sunday and will be  included  in next week’s report, with a few southeast Iowa locations receiving more than an inch late Sunday.