November 16 Crop Progress & Harvest Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending November 15, 2015, temperatures averaged six to eight degrees above normal across the northeast and two to four degrees elsewhere, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Rainfall of up to an inch was recorded across portions of the eastern third of the State, with lesser amounts elsewhere. Snow was recorded in central and southwestern counties with harvest progress slowed at midweek. Producers with harvest complete were working on fall tillage, fertilizer applications and livestock care. There were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 26 short, 67 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 28 short, 65 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn harvested was at 92 percent, near 89 last year and 94 for the five-year average.

Sorghum harvested was at 93 percent, near 92 last year and 96 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 31 fair, 56 good, and 8 excellent.
 
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 29 fair, 54 good, and 6 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 11 short, 86 adequate, and 1 surplus.



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2015/CropProg-11-16-2015.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 REPORT

 Harvest activities and fall tillage were nearing completion, while some tiling, terracing, and fertilizer applications continued during the week ending November 15, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork, down nearly a full day from the previous week due to a storm system that moved through Iowa on Wednesday, bringing precipitation and high winds. Activities for the week included harvesting corn for grain, hauling and spreading manure, and anhydrous application.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 8 percent short, 85 percent adequate, and 7 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 12 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.

Ninety-six percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 8 days ahead of last year, but equal to the 5-year average.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 43 percent moderate to heavy, down 8 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated 77 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was rated 67 percent adequate to surplus.

Hay and roughage supplies were rated 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were described as good, with reports of little stress on livestock with the week’s above normal temperatures.



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

The big weather news for the past reporting week was the storm system that moved through Iowa on Veteran’s Day (11th). Thunderstorms resulted in severe winds being reported from 41 counties, mostly over the southern two-thirds of Iowa. At least 13 tornadoes were confirmed Wednesday afternoon and evening across the southern one-third of Iowa. Additionally, a general area of very strong winds followed the thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday morning with gusts at or above 50 mph across much of the state. This mid-week storm system brought the only rain for the week with greatest rain amounts coming over northwest and west central Iowa where one to two inch amounts were common. Also the first accumulating snow of the season fell Wednesday night over parts of west central and southwest Iowa but was very short-lived with surface temperatures barely falling to the freezing point. Weekly rain totals varied from 0.05 inches at Hamburg (Fremont Co.) to 2.91 inches at Holly Springs (Woodbury Co.). The statewide average precipitation was 0.84 inches while normal for the week is 0.49 inches. Meanwhile temperatures were above normal all week across western Iowa while parts of eastern Iowa dipped slightly below normal on Monday (9th), Tuesday (10th) and Friday (13th). Temperature extremes varied from a Tuesday (10th) morning low of 20 degrees at Elkader to highs of 69 degrees at Clarinda, Keosauqua and Ottumwa on Saturday (14th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from three degrees above normal over far southeast Iowa to ten degrees above normal over the northwest corner with a statewide average of 6.1 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (15th) were averaging in the mid-forties northwest to upper forties southeast. Soil temperatures may still climb into the fifties on Monday (16th) and Tuesday (17th) before much colder weather dominates later in the week.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Nation's Corn Crop 96% Harvested

Ninety-six percent of the nation's corn was harvested as of Nov. 15, according to USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress report.  That compares to 93% last week and a 94% five-year average. 

Winter wheat planting is 94% complete, compared to 92% last week and a 98% five-year average. Eighty-seven percent of the crop is emerged, compared to 80% last week and an 86% five-year average.  Also, 52% of winter wheat was rated good-to-excellent.

Ninety-one percent of sorghum is harvested, compared to 85% last week and an 89% five-year average.

Sixty-four percent of the cotton crop is harvested, compared to 58% last week and a 74% five-year average.



Hot, Dry Weather Continues to Hamper Brazil Soy Planting

Hot and dry weather returned to Brazil's center-west last week, causing soybean planting to slow and raising concerns about the 2015-16 crop, AgRural, a local farm consultancy, reported.

However, farmers are reaching a stage where they have to plant or risk sowing second-crop corn outside the ideal window. So, despite less-than-ideal soil moisture, many farmers continued planting, betting on the return of precipitation this week.

Fieldwork advanced 13 percentage points to reach 60% of Brazil's projected soybean area as of Friday, slightly behind last year's tardy planting and 11 percentage points behind the five-year average.

In Mato Grosso, the No. 1 soy state, planting is 77% complete, some 15 points behind the five-year average. Across the northern reaches of the state, there are reports of crops flowering early because of lack of moisture. In Lucas Do Rio Verde, up to 5% of soybeans planted in October must be replanted, AgRural said.

In neighboring Goias state, approximately 66% of projected area has been planted, well back of the 83% five-year average for this stage of the season. Planters were out last week in anticipation of heavier rain this week.

In the south, heavy rain hampered planting efforts. In Rio Grande do Sul, planting is 36% complete, down from a five-year average of 45% and excessive moisture has damaged some crops, which will be replanted.

In Parana, the No. 2, state, the soybean crop is 84% planted and generally looks in excellent shape.

AgRural pegs the 2015-16 soybean crop at 100.2 million metric tons but added that this number is based on average yield projections and will be adjusted in December as the state of the crop in various states becomes clearer.