October 13 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending October 11, 2015, temperatures averaged six to eight degrees above normal with the only measurable precipitation recorded in the southwestern Panhandle, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The dry conditions allowed soybean harvest to progress rapidly. Windy conditions late in the week combined with the above normal temperatures to speed crop drydown. There were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 28 short, 63 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 26 short, 66 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19 fair, 53 good, and 21 excellent. Corn mature was at 92 percent, ahead of 87 last year, but near 90 for the five-year average. Harvested was at 26 percent, ahead of 18 last year, but behind 34 average.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 20 fair, 54 good, and 20 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was at 95 percent, near 96 for both last year and the average. Harvested was at 57 percent, ahead of 41 last year, but nehind behind 63 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 25 fair, 56 good, and 18 excellent. Sorghum mature was at 89 percent, ahead of 84 last year, but near 86 average. Harvested was at 17 percent, ahead of 11 last year, but near 21 average.

Alfalfa condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 29 fair, 54 good, and 12 excellent. Alfalfa fourth cutting was at 95 percent, ahead of 88 last year and 89 average.

Winter wheat planted was at 93 percent, near 94 last year and 91 average. Emerged was at 70 percent, behind 78 last year, but ahead of 64 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 54 good, and 6 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 9 short, 87 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-10-13-2015.pdf.

Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at:
http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.

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



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Warm and dry weather allowed Iowa farmers to harvest nearly one-third of the State’s soybean crop during the week ending October 11, 2015, according the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork, the most days suitable for fieldwork this season. Fieldwork activities for the week included cutting hay, harvesting corn for grain, harvesting soybeans, and fall tillage. There were also reports of manure and fertilizer being spread, as well as some grain hauling.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 12 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.

Ninety-six percent of the corn crop was mature, 8 days ahead of last year, and 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Twenty-nine percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 12 days ahead of last year, but 5 days behind average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested was at 19 percent, down 2 percentage points from the previous week. Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-five percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 3 days ahead of normal. Sixty-five percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, 10 days ahead of last year.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay is nearly complete, 11 days behind the average. Pasture condition rated 62 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as good, with mild temperatures and little to no rain.



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

It was a dry and unseasonably warm week across Iowa. Only a handful of locations reported any rain. Castana (Monona Co.) and Schleswig (Crawford Co.) picked up 0.02 inches of rain Tuesday (6th) morning. A few thunderstorms were scattered across east central and southeast Iowa on Thursday (8th) afternoon but only Keokuk reported any measurable rain with 0.19 inches. The statewide average precipitation was just a trace while normal for the week is 0.60 inches. This was the driest week since mid-March. Temperatures were above normal throughout the week with the exception of a brief cool-down on Friday (9th) into Saturday (10th) morning. Elkader and Decorah recorded the week’s lowest temperatures with Saturday morning readings of 33 degrees. Temperatures were well above seasonal norms from Tuesday through Thursday. However, the warmest weather arrived on Sunday (11th) when highs were in the eighties over most of Iowa. Sioux City and Omaha-Council Bluffs set daily record high temperatures with 91 degree readings. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from three degrees above normal over the far southeast to nine degrees above normal across the northwest with a statewide average of 6.6 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (11th) were averaging in the upper fifties northeast to mid-sixties southwest.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - US Soybeans 62% Harvested; Corn 42%

Soybean harvest is barreling along in the U.S., advancing 20 percentage points in the week ended Oct. 11, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress report.

Sixty-two percent of the nation's soybean crop has been cut, compared to 42% last week and a five-year average of 54%. 

The nation's corn harvest advanced to 42%, compared to 27% last week and a five-year average of 43%. 

Winter wheat planting is 64% complete, compared to 49% last week and a 66% five-year average. Thirty-three percent of the crop is emerged, compared to 20% last week and a 36% five-year average.

Eighty-five percent of sorghum is mature and 51% is harvested, compared to 77% and 43% last week and five-year averages of 75% and 44%, respectively. Sorghum condition held steady.

Eighty-nine percent of the cotton crop has bolls opening, compared to 77% last week and the five-year average of 75%. Cotton is 22% harvested, compared to 16% last week and a 25% five-year average.

Rice is 88% harvested, compared to 78% last week and a five-year average of 80%.