November 30 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending November 29, 2015, clear conditions early in the week gave way to rain, sleet, and snow, which halted fieldwork activities, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures fell the last half of the week as winter like conditions prevailed. Corn harvest continued to creep along in Panhandle counties, where melting snow and high grain moisture levels limited progress. Livestock producers were busy with livestock care and preparations for colder weather. Snow melt in the north and west left feedlots muddy. There were 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 18 short, 73 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 23 short, 70 adequate, and 2 surplus.

This is the last weekly Crop Progress and Condition report for the 2015 growing season. For December through March, we will issue monthly reports. The first monthly report (December) will be issued January 4, 2016. Weekly reports will begin April 4th for the 2016 season.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 6 poor, 31 fair, 54 good, and 9 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 30 fair, 54 good, and 5 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 10 short, 87 adequate, and 1 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

 Fieldwork activities were halted due to a mix of winter weather that left fields saturated during the week ending November 29, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were only 1.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week were minimal given the conditions but included some manure hauling and spreading, and a little dry fertilizer application. Some grain piles were being picked up and moved if they had not been covered up, but otherwise grain movement slowed this week.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 77 percent adequate, and 20 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 29 percent moderate to heavy, down 7 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated 78 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was rated 68 percent adequate to surplus.

Hay and roughage supplies were rated 96 percent adequate to surplus. Reports of producers dipping into their hay supplies were received this week. Livestock conditions were cold and wet, and lots are muddy due to a wetter than normal November. Some livestock producers worked on fencing projects.



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

Iowa recorded another unseasonably wet week thanks mostly to a mid-week storm event that moved into western Iowa on Wednesday (25th) afternoon and exited eastern portions of the state on Friday (27th) morning. Most of the precipitation with this Thanksgiving Day storm came in the form of rain, however, there was an inch or two of snow in far western Iowa and freezing rain centered upon west central sections of the state. Heaviest rain fell over the southeast where 1.5 to 2.5 inches was common roughly along and southeast of a Lamoni to Dubuque line. Light rain and freezing rain also fell across far southern Iowa Saturday (28th) night into Sunday (29th) morning. Additional precipitation fell across the southeastern two-thirds of the state Sunday evening into Monday (30th) morning but came too late to be reflected in this week’s statistics. Precipitation totals for the week varied from 0.05 inches at Rock Valley to 2.99 inches just south of Ottumwa. The statewide average precipitation was 1.02 inches, more than double the weekly normal of 0.42 inches. Preliminary statistics indicate that this has been the wettest November since 1992. Temperatures were below normal at the beginning of the week over most of Iowa but with much warmer air entering the southwest on Monday (23rd) and covering all of the state by Wednesday (25th). Below normal temperatures returned on Friday and Saturday. Temperature extremes for the week varied from a Thanksgiving Day high of 66 degrees at Keokuk to a Saturday (28th) morning low of 7 degrees at Sheldon. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged about one degree below normal in the east to four degrees above normal over the northwest with a statewide average of 2.9 degrees above normal.



Last USDA Weekly Crop Progress of the Season

In the last weekly Crop Progress and Condition report for the 2015 growing season, USDA shows improving winter wheat condition ratings along with emergence equal to average.

Winter wheat emergence is 93% complete, compared to 90% last week and a 93% five-year average. Fifty-five percent of the crop is rated good to excellent, compared to 53% last week.

Ninety-eight percent of sorghum is harvested, compared to 94% last week and a 97% five-year average.

Eighty percent of the cotton crop is harvested, compared to 70% last week and an 88% five-year average.