September 22 Crop Progress & Condition Reports - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS - CORN, SOYBEAN HARVEST GET UNDERWAY

For  the week ending September 21, 2014, sunshine and above normal temperatures  across  much  of  the  state  helped  move  crop  development  towards  maturity,  according  to  the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Rainfall was  limited  to portions of  the  eastern  third of  the State  with  accumulations  generally  less  than  an  inch.  Dry  bean  harvest  was  active  in  the  west  and  early sugarbeet harvest was underway.  Winter wheat was being seeded and seed corn harvest was active.  There were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 21 short, 71 adequate, and 5 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 8 percent very short, 24 short, 66 adequate, and 2 surplus.
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn  conditions  rated  2  percent  very  poor,  6  poor,  19  fair,  51  good,  and  22  excellent.    Corn  dented  was  94 percent, near 95 last year and 97 average. Corn mature was 50 percent, ahead of 33 last year and 45 average. Corn harvested was 3 percent, near 4 last year, but behind 9 average.

Soybean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 21 fair, 53 good, and 19 excellent.   Soybeans dropping leaves was 55 percent, behind 63 last year, but near 51 average. Soybeans harvested was 1 percent, near 3 last year and 5 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 32 fair, 39 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum coloring was 94 percent, equal to last year, but ahead of 87 average. Sorghum mature was 25 percent, ahead of 15 last year and 21 average. Sorghum harvested was 1 percent, near 0 last year and equal to the average.

Winter wheat  planted was  56  percent,  ahead  of  45  last  year  and  50  for  the  five-year average. Winter wheat emerged was 11 percent, near 10 last year and 13 average.

Alfalfa hay conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 28 fair, 52 good, and 12 excellent.  Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 66 percent complete, ahead of 55 last year, but near 67 average.
 
Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report: 
Pasture  and  range  conditions  rated  5  percent  very  poor,  8  poor,  33 fair, 46 good, and 8 excellent.  Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 5 short, 92 adequate, and 2 surplus. 



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at:  http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg//2010s/2014/CropProg-09-22-2014.txt.

Access  the  High  Plains  Region  Climate  Center  for  Temperature  and  Precipitation  Maps  at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/index.php?action=update_region&state=NE&region=HPRCC.

Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NE.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS - CORN 37% MATURE - SOYBEANS 34% DROPPING LEAVES

Iowa farmers took advantage of the most days suitable for fieldwork in over a month during  the week ending September 21, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  There were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork.  Activities for the week included chopping silage and harvesting hay. 

Soil  moisture  levels  remained  steady  during  the  week  across  Iowa.  Topsoil  moisture  rated  0 percent  very  short,  4 percent  short, 80 percent adequate, and 16 percent surplus.  Subsoil moisture levels rated  1 percent  very  short,  8 percent  short,  79 percent  adequate,  and 12 percent surplus. 
 
Ninety-two  percent  of  Iowa’s  corn  crop was  in  or  beyond  the  dent stage,  4 days  ahead of  the previous year but  3 days behind  the  five-year average. Corn mature reached 37 percent, 10 days behind normal.  Unchanged from the previous 3 weeks, 76 percent of the corn acreage was  reported  in  good  to  excellent  condition.   

Leaves  were  turning color on 79 percent of the soybean crop, 5 days ahead of the previous year  but  3  days  behind  average.   Thirty-four  percent  of  the  soybean acreage  was  dropping  leaves,  4  days  ahead  of  last  year,  but  5  days behind normal.  Unchanged from last week, 74 percent of the soybean acreage was in good to excellent condition. 
   
The  third  cutting of  alfalfa hay was 80 percent  complete,  the  lowest percent complete by this date in over 20 years.  Pasture condition rated 67 percent  good  to  excellent.   Livestock  conditions were  reported  as normal.



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

A pair of weather systems brought light to moderate rain to most of the state on both Monday (15th) and Friday (19th).  Dry weather prevailed across most of  Iowa  the other days of  the week.  Weekly  rain  totals varied  from  only  0.02  inches  in  northeastern Washington County  to 1.85  inches  at  the  Spencer  Airport.   The  statewide  average precipitation  for  the  week  was  0.58  inches,  or  a  little  less  than  the weekly normal of 0.77  inches.  This was Iowa’s driest week  in seven weeks.  Meanwhile,  the week began with unseasonably cool weather with highs mostly  in  the sixties on Sunday  (14th), Monday  (15th) and Tuesday  (16th).   Some  frost was  reported  on  Tuesday morning with lows  down  to  33  degrees  at  Battle  Creek,  Elkader,  Sheldon  and Stanley.   Temperatures were just slightly below normal in most areas on  Wednesday  and  Thursday  with  daytime  highs  mostly  in  the seventies.     Much  warmer  weather  arrived  Friday  and  continued through  the day on Saturday with  a  cool  front passing  through  Iowa Saturday night.  Sioux City and Little Sioux both reached 90 degrees on Friday afternoon while far eastern Iowa temperatures peaked in the upper  seventies on Saturday.  The  statewide  average  temperature  for the  week  was  3.0  degrees  below  normal,  with  far  northwest  Iowa averaging  one  degree  above  normal  while  the  extreme  southeast averaged seven degrees subnormal.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Corn 7% Harvested; Soybeans 3%

Forty-two percent of the nation's corn crop had reached maturity as of Sept. 21 and 7% of the crop had been harvested, according to USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress and Condition reports.  The maturity percentage rose 15 percentage points in the past week while harvest advanced 3 percentage points. The five-year average for maturity is 54% and for harvest is 15%. Corn condition was basically unchanged at 74% good to excellent.

Soybeans were 45% dropping leaves (5 year average is 53%) and 3% harvested (5 year average is 8%). Soybean condition worsened slightly to a good-to-excellent rating of 71%

Spring wheat harvest progressed 12 percentage points from last week to 86% complete. That compares to a 92% five-year average.

Winter wheat is 25% planted, versus 12% last week and a five-year average of 22%.