August 10 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending August 9, 2015, temperatures averaged one to two degrees above normal with an inch or more of precipitation across much of the State, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Irrigation slowed in many south central and southwestern counties after rainfall of two or more inches was received. Aerial spraying of fungicides on corn was active. Seasonally hot, humid conditions stressed livestock. There were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 25 short, 66 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 23 short, 69 adequate, and 3 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 18 fair, 59 good, and 18 excellent. Corn silking was at 98 percent, equal to both last year and the five-year average. Dough was at 43 percent, behind 59 last year and 54 average. Dented was at 5 percent, equal to last year, but behind 13 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 27 fair, 60 good, and 11 excellent. Sorghum headed was at 82 percent, ahead of 76 last year and 67 average. Coloring was at 4 percent, well behind 25 last year, but near the average of 6.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 21 fair, 57 good, and 16 excellent. Soybeans blooming was at 94 percent, near both last year and the average of 95. Setting pods was at 67 percent, behind 78 last year, but near 70 average.

Winter wheat harvested was 98 percent, near 97 last year, and equal to the average.

Oats mature was at 96 percent, near 97 last year. Harvested was at 83 percent, behind 93 last year, and 95 average.

Alfalfa condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 28 fair, 54 good, and 13 excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was at 93 percent, near both last year and the average of 97. Third cutting was at 41 percent, behind 56 last year, and 51 average. Fourth cutting was at 4 percent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 6 poor,23 fair, 57 good, and 11 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 7 short, 89 adequate, and 2 surplus.



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2015/CropProg-08-10-2015.pdf.

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 AND CONDITION REPORT

Dry conditions throughout the week with precipitation not arriving until the weekend allowed Iowa farmers 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending August 9, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included cutting hay as well as fungicide and insecticide applications. There were scattered reports of weed and insect issues in soybeans and fungus in corn fields. Seed corn detasseling was nearing completion across much of the state.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 9 percent short, 78 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 8 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus. Limited precipitation across northern Iowa resulted in falling topsoil and subsoil moisture levels across the area, with northwest Iowa now reporting over one-quarter short to very short on topsoil moisture.

Ninety-seven percent of the corn crop reached the silking stage or beyond, with 51 percent reaching the dough stage or beyond, slightly behind 2014, but 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Reports of corn starting to dent were received from across the State. Corn condition rated 83 percent good to excellent.

Soybeans blooming or beyond reached 92 percent, 5 days behind the previous year. Seventy-three percent of soybeans were setting pods. Soybean condition rated 79 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-one percent of the oat crop for grain or seed has been harvested, 4 days ahead of last year, but slightly behind the average.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 85 percent, 6 days behind last year and 9 days behind normal. The third cutting of alfalfa hay is 28 percent complete, 4 days behind average.

Hay condition dropped slightly to 68 percent good to excellent, while pasture condition dropped 3 percentage points to 73 percent good to excellent. Livestock experienced normal summer heat stress and mild pressure from insects.



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

Iowa saw a very wide range in precipitation totals for the past week. Parts of northern Iowa recorded nothing more than sprinkles for the week at such locations as Battle Creek (Ida County), Estherville, Mason City, Charles City, Fayette and Guttenberg. Meanwhile, locally heavy rains fell over far southwest Iowa on Sunday (2nd) night, Tuesday (4th) and Saturday (8th) night. Randolph in northern Fremont County reported 9.21 inches of rain for the week with 6.85 inches of the total coming in a Saturday night deluge. Bedford registered three rain events of 1.73 inches or more for a weekly total of 6.90 inches. This follows 12.38 inches of rain at Bedford during July. A widespread area of three to five inches of rain also fell Saturday night across central Iowa from just south of Fort Dodge to just southwest of Iowa City.  Fortunately this later storm area had been dry for the previous ten days. Other than the southern one-third of Iowa, most of the state was dry during this past week until Saturday evening. Additionally rains fell from Sunday (9th) evening into Monday (10th) morning, mostly over the west one-half of the state, but fell too late to be reflected in this week’s statistics.  Overall the statewide average precipitation was 0.94 inches, or about the same as the weekly normal of 0.96 inches. Relatively cool and dry air prevailed over most of the state through Thursday (6th) morning. Elkader was the cool spot with a Wednesday (5th) morning low of 48 degrees. Warmer and more humid air prevailed late in the week with Sioux Center reporting the highest temperature at 91 degrees on Friday (7th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged about two degrees below normal over eastern Iowa to about a degree above normal over the west with a statewide average of 0.7 degrees below normal. The Saturday night storms also brought some large hail and high winds with the hail reports concentrated in the vicinity of Sioux City with most of the wind reports occurring from the Iowa Great Lakes area southeastward to near Ames.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress

Corn and soybean conditions were steady again the week ended Aug. 9, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress and Condition report. 

Ninety-six percent of corn was silking, up from 95% a year ago and even with the five-year average of 96%. Fifty percent of corn was in the dough stage, down from 51% a year ago, but above the five-year average of 49%. Nine percent of corn was dented, even with a year ago and below the five-year average of 15%. Seventy percent of the nation's corn was rated good to excellent, equal to the previous week's ratings. 

USDA said that 88% of soybeans were blooming, down from 91% a year ago and below the five-year average of 91%. Sixty-nine percent of soybeans were setting pods, just below 70% a year ago and above the five-year average of 66%.  Sixty-three percent of beans were rated good to excellent, also equal to the previous week's ratings.

Winter wheat was 97% harvested as of Sunday, up from 94% a year ago and above the five-year average of 90%.

Cotton was 96% squaring, 68% setting bolls and 7% with bolls opening compared to the average pace of 97% squaring, 79% setting bolls and 8% will bolls opening. Cotton condition ratings, at 56% good to excellent, were down 1 percentage point from the previous week. Rice was 81% headed, compared to 63% last week and a 71% five-year average. Rice condition was also down 1 percentage point from the previous week in the good-to-excellent category.

Sorghum was 72% headed and 32% coloring, compared to the average of 64% and 33%. Oats were 62% harvested, compared to 43% last week and a 62% five-year average. Barley was 42% harvested, compared to 17% last week and an 18% average.